Patent ID: 6648915
Filing Date: 2003-11-18
Classification: A61B,A61F,Y10S

Abstract:
A transforaminal technique for providing vertebral inter-body fusion in the vertebral column of a human, the vertebral column being made up of a series of vertebral bodies each comprising a tri-joint complex which consists of an anterior disc with anterior and posterior curves and two posterior facet joints, the technique comprising the steps of:preparing a space for receiving a unitary orthopedic prosthetic device between two vertebrae in a foraminal approach; surgically inserting a unitary cage body into the space so created between the vertebrae, wherein the cage body is banana shaped as viewed from above, the body having an exterior surface and an interior surface, the interior surface defining an internal recess for receiving cancellous bone material during the implantation procedure and wherein the cage body has evenly spaced openings about a circumference of the body which form an interlinked mesh, the body also having upper and lower peripheral edges which form a sloping serpentine pattern, and wherein the body, when viewed from above, has a first radius of curvature of a front arc thereof and a second radius of curvature of a back arc thereof, the first radius of curvature and the second radius of curvature of the cage body mirroring a natural radius of curvature of the anterior and posterior curves of the anterior discs, the ratio of the first radius of curvature to the second radius of curvature being selected to allow insertion of the cage body between adjacent vertebrae in a transforaminal approach.