Prosthesis (i.e. – artificial body members) – parts thereof – or ai – Implantable prosthesis – Bone
Patent
1998-02-02
1999-03-30
Willse, David H.
Prosthesis (i.e., artificial body members), parts thereof, or ai
Implantable prosthesis
Bone
A61F 244
Patent
active
058882286
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to an intervertebral implant having a frame like cage which is open at its top and base faces with two lateral faces, a front wall and a rear wall. A rotating element is mounted in the cage so that the implant can be turned while being inserted into an intervertebral space.
BACKGROUND ART
Intervertebral implants are used for the fusion of vertebral bodies, especially in the area of the lumbar spine. One or two implants are used for each intervertebral space.
Various types of such intervertebral implants are already known from the prior art. However, these have the following disadvantages: relevant vertebra must be distended with suitable instruments; and affected vertebra.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is intended to remedy these disadvantages. It is an object of the invention to create and intervertebral implant which can be turned into the cleared intervertebral space, if possible without distending instruments, in a controllable fashion, and with a minimum application of force.
This object is achieved through the use of an intervertebral implant having a frame like cage which is open at its top and base faces with two lateral faces, a front wall and a rear wall. A rotation element is rotatably mounted in the cage, and the outer surface of the rotation element has a helical structure which extends out of the cage beyond the cover and base faces. The front wall has a aperture so that a drive tool can be introduced so that the rotation element can be rotated to turn the implant.
It is thus possible to achieve the advantage that a minimum application of force is sufficient for the implantation, and that the implant can be inserted in a controlled fashion by means of the helical structure of the outer surface of the rotation element. The latter extends out of the cage beyond the cover and base faces. It is thus possible to use a minimally invasive and open surgical technique.
The cage-like frame structure with its large contact surface prevents the implant from sinking into the end plates.
The helical structure of the rotation element, which protrudes beyond the cage, makes it possible to turn the implant while it is being inserted, and to screw it into the intervertebral space.
A preferred further development consists in the feature that the rotation element of the implant is designed hollow and has a sealing cover on its front face. Bone chips or bone replacement materials thus can easily be filled into the rotation element, and the implant can be securely mounted with little manipulation. In this case, the cage is suitably designed so that it is assembled from two parts, to facilitate mounting. With this type of application, the rotation element preferably also has perforations in the form of longitudinal grooves, and the lateral surfaces of the cage have longitudinal hole recesses, so as to facilitate ingrowth of the bone.
The longitudinal grooves make it possible to check the ingrowth of the bone radiologically. The longitudinal recesses preferably have a cutting edge, which allows the end plate chips to penetrate into the hollow rotation body.
The cage can have the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, with a rotation body in the shape of a circular cylinder, or it can be wedge-shaped with a correspondingly conical rotation body.
To increase the positional stability of the implant and the rotational stability of the adjoining vertebrae, the cover and base surfaces of the cage suitably have a three-dimensional structure, preferably in the form of longitudinal grooves.
The inventive implant has the following further advantages over the prior art: rotation element.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention and further developments of the invention will be explained in more detail below, by means of the partially schematic representation of an embodiment.
FIG. 1 shows a view, in perspective, of the cage of the inventive implant.
FIG. 2 shows a view, in perspective, of the open rotation element of the inventive implant.
FIG. 3 shows a view, in
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patent: 5192327 (1993-03-01), Brantigan
patent: 5423816 (1995-06-01), Lin
patent: 5683463 (1997-11-01), Godefroy et al.
patent: 5766253 (1998-06-01), Brosnahan, III
patent: 5782919 (1998-07-01), Zdeblick et al.
Benoit Alfred
Knothe Inga
Jackson Suzette J.
Synthes (U.S.A.)
Willse David H.
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