Patent ID: 8414650

Claim:
A composite interbody device, comprising: a plastic core with superior and inferior surfaces and one or more features for permitting bone growth through the core; a metallic superior endplate having: a core interface side comprising a perforated metal sheet and being coupled with the superior surface, a bone interface side comprising a perforated metal sheet opposite the core interface side for interfacing with bone of an implant site, perforations in the bone interface side forming a plurality of bone interface pores for permitting bone growth therein, and a central barrier layer between the core interface side and the bone interface side; and a metallic inferior endplate having: a core interface side comprising a perforated metal sheet and being coupled with the inferior surface, a bone interface side comprising a perforated metal sheet opposite the core interface side, for interfacing with bone of an implant site perforations in the bone interface side forming a plurality of bone interface pores for permitting bone growth therein, and a central barrier layer between the core interface side and the bone interface side; and a hydroxyapatite coating applied to the bone interface sides of the superior and inferior endplates, for encouraging bone growth onto the endplates; wherein perforations in the core interface side are larger than the bone interface pores, the core interface perforations permitting molten material of the core to flow into the core interface perforations, to enhance bonding of the core to the superior and inferior endplates, when the core is molded between the endplates; and wherein the central barrier layer of the superior and inferior endplates prevents the molten core material from flowing through the superior and inferior endplates and into bone growth spaces provided by the bone interface perforations, when the core is injection-molded between the endplates.