Surgical implants

Prosthesis (i.e. – artificial body members) – parts thereof – or ai – Implantable prosthesis – Bone

Patent

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Details

623 13, 606 61, 24129W, A61F 244

Patent

active

057255822

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to surgical implants, etc., more particularly--but not exclusively--for the stabilization of the spine, but also applicable to other indications, such as the replacement or augmentation of knee or ankle ligaments, and also possibly applicable to the reduction of fractured bones.
Various forms of spinal stabilization are in use, including fixation devices such as Harrington, Hartshill (see EP-A-0 146 347 and EP-A-0 269 268 both of Surgicraft Limited), Luque, and Knodt, which comprise solid rods hooked on to the vertebrae or held thereto by wires.
More recently there have been introduced flexible stabilisation systems, such as inextensible strips between pedicle screws (see Burton U.S. Pat. No. 4,743,260 and F. H. Breard and H. Graf EP-A-0 381 588) or inextensible bands of predetermined lengths round pedicle screws (see also EP-A-0 381 588).
However, in order to avoid failure of these anchorages in pedicles it has been proposed (in EP-A-0 381 588) to loop inextensible flexible members directly round the spinous processes; Senegas has an inextensible member wound in a figure of eight or multiples thereof round the spinous processes and through spacers therebetween, while EP-A-0 322 334 of COTE S.A.R.L. (granted to CREMASCOLI FRANCE) has semi-elastic flat lacing looped round the spinous processes and in between passed through small tubular cushions of the same material.
The winding or looping of flexible members, whether inextensible or semi-elastic, round the spinous processes and through spacers or cushions is a time-consuming operation, and it is also difficult to tension the flexible members to adjust the load between vertebrae spanned by the flexible members, because of friction of the flexible members with themselves and with the bones and spacers or cushions.


SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One object of the present invention is to provide a surgical implant that can be quickly and surely applied, particularly for spinal stabilization but also for ligament augmentation or replacement or for reduction of fractured bones, and that can be easily tensioned to adjust the load between vertebrae spanned.
A secondary object of the invention is to adapt the surgical implant for alternative methods of engagement with the spine or with other bones in the body.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a surgical implant comprises a hank formed from a single strand of flexible biocompatible material with at least one bight at each end of the hank and a tail extending from at least one end, and at least one crimpable sleeve-like element encircling at least the overlapping end lengths of the strand.
With this simplest form, the two bights can be quickly and surely applied one over each of two spinous processes (or anchoring means such as pedicle screws secured in two vertebrae), any slack being taken up by pulling the tail, further pulling of which makes use of the purchase of the looped strand material to adjust the load between the vertebrae, then the crimpable sleeve-like element is squeezed (using any suitable, e.g., proprietary crimping tool) on to the lengths of strand passing therethrough secure the strand in its tensioned state.
The at least one crimpable sleeve-like element may encircle all the strands of the hank intermediate its ends, or only all the lengths of strand at one side of the hank, and more than one crimpable sleeve-like element may be applied to the hank.
For other indications, such as ligament augmentation or replacement, the bights are simply applied over suitable heads of anchorages in the relevant bones.
Conveniently, the at least one bight at one end of the hank comprises an eye formed at the end of the strand material remote from the tail, while the at least one bight at the other end of the hank is formed by the strand material looping from the corresponding end of the crimpable sleeve-like element. It will be evident that the eye will be of a size adequate to fit over a spinous process or the head of a pedicle screw or other anchor

REFERENCES:
patent: 3705444 (1972-12-01), Wernsing
patent: 3857396 (1974-12-01), Hardwick
patent: 4059866 (1977-11-01), Rohland
patent: 4570618 (1986-02-01), Wu
patent: 4790303 (1988-12-01), Steffee
patent: 5092866 (1992-03-01), Breard et al.
patent: 5116340 (1992-05-01), Songer et al.
patent: 5387213 (1995-02-01), Breard
patent: 5395370 (1995-03-01), Muller
patent: 5423820 (1995-06-01), Miller
patent: 5454812 (1995-10-01), Lin
patent: 5456722 (1995-10-01), McLeod
patent: 5476565 (1995-12-01), Preissman
patent: 5496318 (1996-03-01), Howland

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