Patent ID: 9216098
Filing Date: 2015-12-22
Classification: A61B,A61F

Abstract:
1. An instrument for measuring the size of an intervertebral space, the instrument comprising: a handle portion; an elongate shaft portion having a proximal end, a distal end and a longitudinal axis extending therebetween, the elongate shaft portion is connected to the handle portion at the proximal end; an actuator connected to the elongate shaft portion; and upper and lower pad members each nonreleasably connected to the distal end of the elongate shaft portion via elongate link members such that the upper and lower pad members cannot be released from the elongate shaft portion while inserted within the intervertebral space for a measuring operation, the upper and lower pad members are configured for movement between an unexpanded orientation with the upper and lower pad members adjacent one another and a distracted orientation with the upper and lower pad members distracted apart to shift away from the longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft portion in a transverse direction relative thereto and from one another via actuation of the actuator in a first direction wherein the elongate shaft is slidably shifted along the longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft portion in a corresponding direction along the axis and causes the pads to distract apart from one another and the longitudinal axis via shifting in the transverse direction, and back to an unexpanded orientation via actuation of the actuator in a second direction opposite the first direction, wherein the elongate shaft is slidably shifted in the opposite direction along the longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft portion and causes the pads to retract toward one another and the longitudinal axis via shifting in the transverse direction; wherein each of the upper and lower pad members is connected to the respective elongate link member by a polyaxial connection such that the pad members are further configured for polyaxial movement relative to the distal end of the elongate shaft portion, with one of the upper and lower pad members configured to rotate in a first direction about a first axis and in a second direction about a second axis, wherein the first and second axes are different from one another, and the other of the upper and lower pad members configured to rotate in a third direction about a third axis and in a fourth direction about a fourth axis, wherein the third and fourth axes are different from one another and from the first and second axes, for allowing each pad member to shift polyaxially independent from movement of the other pad member and the handle portion such that each pad member is adapted for conforming with an endplate of an adjacent vertebra independent of the other pad member such that together the upper and lower pad members are adapted to determine the size of the intervertebral space and relative orientation of the endplates of the adjacent vertebrae from a plurality of different approaches relative to the intervertebral space.