Source: https://patents.justia.com/patent/7985245
Timestamp: 2020-04-03 20:59:57
Document Index: 222816300

Matched Legal Cases: ['art\n6418821', 'arty\n6540756', 'Application No. 2003', 'Application No. 2003', 'Application No. 2004216131', 'Application No. 2006200772', 'Application No. 02763815', 'Application No. 2004216131', 'Application No. 01958866', 'Application No. 2006', 'Application No. 04714674', 'Application No. 2415072', 'Application No. 01958866', 'Application No. 2460183', 'Application No. 01958866', 'Application No. 2460183', 'Application No. 2008202467', 'Application No. 2006', 'Application No. 02463815']

US Patent for Connection rod for screw or hook polyaxial system and method of use Patent (Patent # 7,985,245 issued July 26, 2011) - Justia Patents Search
Justia Patents Ball And Socket Type (e.g., Polyaxial)US Patent for Connection rod for screw or hook polyaxial system and method of use Patent (Patent # 7,985,245)
FIG. 1a is a partial cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the attachment device of the present invention;
FIG. 1b is an end perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the attachment device of the present invention;
FIG. 9b is a side elevation view of the tension link with link retainer shown in FIG. 9a;
FIG. 9c is an end view of the tension link with link retainer shown in FIG. 9a;
FIG. 10b is a side elevation view of the tension link with link retainer shown in FIG. 10a;
FIG. 19a is a cross-sectional elevation view of another alternative embodiment of the surgical implant assembly of the present invention;
FIG. 19b is a plan view of the surgical implant assembly shown in FIG. 19a;
FIG. 40a is a side cross-sectional view of one of the stabilization assemblies shown in FIG. 38;
FIG. 40b is a cross-sectional view taken along line 40b-40b shown in FIG. 40a;
FIG. 42a is side elevation view of a stabilization assembly having yet a separate embodiment of a the clamp device;
FIG. 42b is a cross-sectional view taken along line 42b-42b shown in FIG. 42a;
FIG. 42c is a cross-sectional view taken along line 42c-42c shown in FIG. 42a;
FIG. 44a is a perspective view of an stabilization assembly having extended tension link shafts; and
FIG. 44b is an enlarged detail view of an aspect of an extended tension link shaft shown in FIG. 44a.
With reference to FIGS. 9a, 9b, and 9c, a tension link 28 is shown. The tension link 28 is generally a shaft 30 with a head end 34 and a thread end 32. As shown in FIGS. 9a, 9b, and 9c, one embodiment of the tension link 28 may include a link retainer 44. The link retainer 44, in this embodiment, comprises a projection on the shaft 30 of the tension link 28. The link retainer 44 may be used to prevent unwanted rotation, but not angular orientation, of the tension link 28 within the hollow core 22 of the attachment device 10. An extended tension link 28 is shown in FIG. 44, as will be discussed below.
FIG. 9a shows an embodiment of the tension link with a link retainer 44 in partial side elevation. FIG. 9b shows the same embodiment in front elevation. FIG. 9c shows this embodiment in plan view as seen from the thread end 32 of the tension link 28. The thread end 32 of the tension link 28 is not shown in FIGS. 9a, 9b, and 9c.
With reference to FIGS. 10a and 10b, an alternative embodiment of the link retainer 44 of the tension link 28 is shown. The tension link 28 is shown in partial side elevation and partial front elevation, in FIG. 10a and FIG. 10b, respectively. Again, this view is “partial” because the thread end 32 of the tension link 28 is omitted from the drawing. The link retainer 44 in this embodiment is a projection that spans the intersection of the shaft 30 and the head end 34 of the tension link 28 and extends partially along the surface of the head end 34. This embodiment may be used in conjunction with the embodiment of the attachment device 10 including the tension link slot 36, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 above. As in the previous embodiment, the tension link may be prevented from unwanted rotation of the tension link 28 within the hollow core 22. The link retainer 44 may be placed in contact with the wall of the tension link slot 36 to prevent such rotation.
With reference to FIG. 12, an embodiment of the connector 40 is shown. The connector has a receiving end 48 and a rod end 50. The receiving end 48 includes a head receptacle 42 for receiving the enlarged area 20 of the attachment device 10. The rod end 50 includes a rod aperture 52 for receiving a implant component 54, such as a spinal rod implant or other device. A tension link cavity 56 is provided from the head receptacle 42 to the rod end 50. The tension link cavity 56 is sized to allow the insertion of the thread end 32 of a tension link 28 through the connector 40. In the embodiment of the connector 40 shown in FIG. 12, a link nut recess 58 is provided at the rod end 50 adjacent to the tension link cavity 56 for seating a link nut 60 used to secure the connector 40 to the tension link 28. As shown in FIG. 12, the connector may include a gap 62 located medially between the receiving end 48 and the rod end 50, and in operative relationship with the rod aperture 52 such that when the gap 62 is closed, the rod aperture 52 may secure the implant component 54. In this embodiment, tightening of the link nut 60 on the tension link 28 closes the gap 62, and thus secures the implant component 54, concurrently with securing the connector 40 to the attachment device 10 in a desired position. The embodiment shown in FIG. 12 includes the alternative feature of a link retainer recess 64. The link retainer recess 64 is a void located along the tension link cavity 56 and adjacent to the head receptacle 42. The link retainer recess 64 accommodates the link retainer 44 of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 9a, 9b and 9c, such that the link retainer 44 may contact the wall of the link retainer recess 64 and prevent undesired rotation of the tension link 28. The link retainer recess 64 should be sized accordingly.
Referring now to FIGS. 19a and 19b, an alternative embodiment of the surgical implantation system 70 is provided. In this embodiment, a dynamic system is created wherein the implant component 54 is allowed to move freely along its longitudinal axis within connector rod aperture 52. This is accomplished by manufacturing some clearance tolerance within the rod aperture 52 when the link nut 60 is completely tightened on tension link 28. FIG. 19a also shows an alternative embodiment of a retaining recess 72 adjacent to the connector rod aperture 52. The retaining recess 72 corresponds with a retaining process 74 on the implant component 54 to limit the extent of dynamic nature within the implant. The retaining recess 72 and the retaining process 74 are sized and work in relation to one another such that the longitudinal movement of the implant component 54 is arrested when the retaining process 74 nests in the retaining recess 72.
Referring now to FIGS. 38-40a-b, in a separate embodiment, an assembly is provided that utilizes the various components listed above. Thus, one application of this embodiment then is the installation of two separate attachment devices 10 that are then fitted with the other devices. In use, attachment devices 10 are installed first. In one preferred method of use, the attachment devices 10 are pedicle screws that are installed into two vertebra, a first vertebra V1 and a second vertebra V2. More preferably, as shown in FIG. 38, right and left assemblies are installed on either side of the spinous process. Installation of the attachment devices 10 is followed by the installation of tension links 28 through or into the two attachment devices 10. Alternately, the tension links 28 may be placed into the attachment devices 10 prior to installing the attachment devices 10 into their intended positions. Subsequent to installing the attachment devices 10 with the tension links 28 in place, an interior rod member 202 having a receptacle 100 and a rod member 54 is implanted over one of the attachment devices 10 and secured with a first link nut 60. Installation of interior rod member 202 is preferably performed in conjunction with installing a lower clamp portion 204 and an upper clamp portion 206 over the remaining attachment device 10 while clamping the clamp regions 208 and 210 of the lower clamp portion 204 and an upper clamp portion 206, respectively, around the interior rod member 202. Subsequently, securing ends 212 and 214 are securedly attached to the second attachment device 10 by placing a second link nut 60 onto the exposed portion of the tension link 28 of the second attachment device 10. Of course, the clamp regions 208 and 210 may be adjusted during tightening securing ends 212 and 214 using second link nut 60 to ensure an appropriately configured arrangement of interior rod member 202, clamp 200, attachment devices 10, and tension links 28. The resulting assembly spans disk D. Accordingly, the interior rod member 202 serves as a first rod member, and the lower clamp portion 204 and an upper clamp portion 206 serve as a second rod member that combine to structurally bridge disk D when interconnected to attachment devices 10 by interconnecting mechanisms, such as tension links 28.
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Patent Publication Number: 20060079899
Application Number: 11/283,006
Current U.S. Class: Ball And Socket Type (e.g., Polyaxial) (606/266); Externally Threaded Head (606/271); Method Of Spinal Positioning Or Stabilizing (606/279)