Patent ID: 6733533
Filing Date: 2004-05-11
Classification: A61F,Y10S

Abstract:
A prosthetic spinal disc, comprising:a prosthetic spinal disc annulus, the annulus comprising a flexible ring of desired size and shape, the ring being compressible such that it may occupy a variable volume of space, the ring comprising an exterior and a hollow interior, the ring further comprising an opening, the opening being in communication between the exterior and the interior; a first fluid inside the hollow interior inflating the ring to a size and shape suitable for a spinal disc annulus; a prosthetic spinal disc nucleus, comprising: a flexible shell having a hollow interior, the nucleus being compressible such that it may occupy a variable volume of space; a second fluid inside the hollow interior inflating the nucleus into a final shape, the shape being suitable for a spinal disc nucleus; and a pair of prosthetic spinal disc end plates, each end plate of the pair of end plates being flexible and having a relatively flat shape, each end plate having a suitable size and shape for a spinal disc, each end plate comprising a bone contacting surface and an annulus contacting surface, wherein the bone contacting surface is susceptible to bone growth therein for long term fixation to adjacent natural bone, and wherein the bone contacting surface further comprises means for initial short term fixation to adjacent bone in a desired vertebral space, the annulus being attached to the annulus contacting surface of each end plate of the pair of end plates, such that the nucleus is surrounded by the annulus and between the pair of end plates.