Prosthesis (i.e. – artificial body members) – parts thereof – or ai – Implantable prosthesis – Bone
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-14
2001-01-23
Hirsch, Paul J. (Department: 3732)
Prosthesis (i.e., artificial body members), parts thereof, or ai
Implantable prosthesis
Bone
C623S017110
Reexamination Certificate
active
06176882
ABSTRACT:
The invention relates to an intervertebrae implant comprising two spaced side walls, a front wall connecting the side walls at one end thereof, a back wall connecting the side walls at their other end and corresponding apertures in the bottom and top face lying transversely to the afore-mentioned walls.
Such an implant is inserted after removal of an intervertebral disk for stabilizing the intervertebral region until bone material which is filled in at the same time has grown to an osseous connection and strengthening.
An intervertebrae implant is disclosed in DE 195 29 605 C2. The implant comprises two hook-shaped portions initially bent back into a cavity which are moved out into an engagement position by screwing-in a screw having a wedge-shaped portion after inserting the implant in-between two vertebrae. It is a disadvantage of this apparatus that the gripper arms cannot be brought back into their retracted position, whereby the surgeon cannot change the position of the implant after having once extended the grippers.
The DE 195 49 426 C2 discloses an intervertebrae implant wherein two terminal portions of a hollow body are moved from an initially redressed position into an extended position by insertion of a screw having a truncated conical portion. Teeth provided at the outer faces engage the adjacent vertebrae in the extended position of the implant. There is the same drawback that the teeth, after initial extension and engagement with the adjacent vertebrae, cannot be retracted for replacement or readjustment.
From U.S. Pat. No. 5,522,899 an intervertebrae implant is known. This implant comprises a lower part being formed of a rectangular-shaped bottom with two side walls extending therefrom at right angles, the side walls being rectangular-shaped and having in their middle region, respectively, a projecting tongue extending away from the bottom. Further, an upper part is provided having a corresponding rectangular-shaped bottom and two side walls extending therefrom to the lower part at right angles, each having a portion for accomodating the tongues of the lower part. The sides of the bottoms facing each other, respectively, are wedge-segment-shaped and have such a size that between the bottoms facing each other a free space is formed. In this free space two wedges are provided having their basis opposite to each other and comprising bores being concentric to each other. The bore of the first wedge is without a thread and serves as guidance for a screw, whereas the bore of the second wedge comprises an internal thread which corresponds to the thread of the screw.
The length of the screw is selected so as to be passed through the first wedge and to be screwed in the second part if both wedges are in their position having the largest distance, in which said two wedge-shaped elements are positioned in their smallest distance to each other. By rotating the screw the second wedge is pulled in direction to the first wedge so as to enlarge the distance of the two wedge-shaped elements. As a result thereof the free end of the screw comes out from the second wedge. Since the screw itself is not guided in its positions with respect to the other elements, the movement of the two parts relative to the other elements is also not predetermined in a force-locking or form-locking manner, respectively.
It is the object of the invention to provide an improved intervertebrae implant of the initially described kind.
This object is achieved by an intervertebrae implant as defined in claim
1
.
Further embodiments of the invention are defined in the subclaims.
The adjustable inward and outward displacement of the teeth allows for an individual adjustment to the prevailing an atomic shape of the end plates of the vertrebrae. Moreover, the spacing of the vertebrae can be controlled by adjustment of this displacement of the teeth.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4401112 (1983-08-01), Rezaiman
patent: 5522899 (1996-06-01), Michelson
patent: 5609635 (1997-03-01), Michelson
patent: 5658335 (1997-08-01), Allen
patent: 5665122 (1997-09-01), Kambin
patent: 5893889 (1999-04-01), Harrington
patent: 3608163 A1 (1987-09-01), None
patent: 4447057 A1 (1996-04-01), None
patent: 19549426 C2 (1997-02-01), None
patent: 19529605 C2 (1997-02-01), None
patent: 29623362 U1 (1998-05-01), None
patent: 0635246 A1 (1995-01-01), None
patent: 0637439 A1 (1995-02-01), None
patent: 0734702 A1 (1996-10-01), None
patent: 2717068 (1995-09-01), None
patent: WO 97/00054 (1997-01-01), None
patent: WO 97/06753 (1997-02-01), None
patent: WO 97/15248 (1997-03-01), None
patent: WO 98/48739 (1998-11-01), None
Biedermann Lutz
Harms J{umlaut over (u)}rgen
Wichmann Thomas
Biedermann Motech GmbH
Dike, Bronstein, Roberts and Cushman LLP
Hirsch Paul J.
Neuner George W.
LandOfFree
Intervertebral implant does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Intervertebral implant, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Intervertebral implant will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2458405