Surgery – Instruments – Orthopedic instrumentation
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-08
2001-06-19
Mancene, Gene (Department: 3732)
Surgery
Instruments
Orthopedic instrumentation
C606S060000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06248104
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a spinal osteosynthesis instrumentation of the type comprising at least one longitudinal vertebral rod, and preferably two rods, bone anchoring elements having a longitudinal axis and spaced apart along the rod, a connector for connecting the rod to each anchoring element, and pressure means for clamping together the rod, the anchoring elements and the connectors.
Spinal instrumentations of this type are known, for example from the application EP-A-0,553,424, the patent U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,388, the patent EP-A-0,384,001 and the patent FR-A-92 07 504 (publication No 2,692,471). The anchoring element may be a pedicle screw or hook and the pressure means may be nuts which are screwed on a threaded end of the anchoring element. The connector or connecting clamp may be in two parts or a single part, forming a set of pincers which surrounds the vertebral rod.
When it is in one piece, the surgeon must necessarily insert the rod in the connector in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rod, which may constitute a troublesome obligation for the surgeon.
These devices are moreover relatively cumbersome in the transverse direction in particular owing to the distance between the anchoring element and the vertebral rod.
An object of the invention is to propose an instrumentation which is less cumbersome and easier for the surgeon to use while giving an excellent mechanical performance over a period of time and therefore good reliability.
According to the invention, each anchoring element has a bearing surface for the rod which is inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of the anchoring element so that the rod may bear against said surface between two points, one of which points, located adjacent to the pressure means, is closer to the anchoring element than the second point; moreover, there is provided in the connector a cavity for the rod which opens at both its ends onto the exterior of the connector and provides at least one bearing point for the rod which is trapped, by the clamping of the pressure means, between said inclined bearing surface and a wall of the cavity, and the latter is extended through a lateral aperture of the connector permitting the insertion of the vertebral rod radially in its cavity.
Owing to this arrangement of the connector, the rod is directly locked on the inclined bearing surface provided on the anchoring element when the pressure means, for example a nut, are clamped onto the connector, which firmly applies the rod against the bearing surface of the anchoring element. Consequently, the overall size of the device in the direction transverse to the rod is considerably reduced relative to known prior instrumentations.
Further, the lateral aperture for inserting the rod in the connector up to its cavity facilitates the work of the surgeon since this lateral insertion is distinctly easier than an insertion in the longitudinal direction of the cavity.
According to other features of the invention:
The inclined bearing surface is flared, for example conical, or is formed by a flat surface.
The anchoring element is made in two parts, one of which carries the bearing surface for the rod and is detachably mounted on the other part. Thus it may concern a ring having a conical outer surface slidably mounted around the anchoring element and capable of abutting against the transverse annular shoulder of said anchoring element.
In an advantageous embodiment of the instrumentation, the cavity of the connector is extended on the side remote from the rod-inserting opening, by a central lateral recess defining two claws on opposite sides of said recess, the edges of the walls of these claws and the bearing surface of the anchoring element providing three points of contact for the rod after clamping of the pressure means and deformation of the rod by the action of these pressure means.
These three points of contact constitute a particularly solid support for the rod after clamping of the compression element on the connector.
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Chopin Daniel
Grosse Arsene
Moulin Jean
Roussouly Pierre
Saurat Jean
Mancene Gene
Priddy Michael B.
Woodard Emhardt Naughton Moriarty & McNett
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