Abstract: A spine implant for an ALIF procedure includes anchoring members being either a bone screw or flexible barb, each having a head on one end of a shaft, and a tip on another end of the shaft. The spine implant includes a porous cage having a front, rear, central cavity, and three angled bores in the front that extend into the central cavity configured to receive one of the plurality of anchoring members such that the tip of the anchoring member extends from one or another side of the cavity with its head retained in the front. The spine implant further includes two retention members configured for insertion into the front such that a portion of the two retention members are positioned over the heads of two, adjacent anchoring members to inhibit bone anchor backout via cam action between the retention member and the heads of the anchoring members.

Abstract: An orthopedic implant has a plate and bone screws. Configured bone screw pockets of the plate provide variable angling and positional locking of a received bone screw relative. Each bone screw includes distal threads, a neck, and a dual threaded head. The plate has a bone screw pocket on a distal end, a bone screw pocket on a proximal end, and a strut extending between the two bone screw pockets. The bone screw pockets are at least generally cup shaped for receipt of a bone screw. The lower periphery of the opening of each bone screw pocket has an arrangement of configured prongs with configured openings to receive threading on the underside of the dual threaded head of the bone screw. The prongs can preferably, but not necessarily, deform slightly and grab onto the threading of the bone screw head to lock the bone screw in the bone screw pocket. Each prong can act independently.

Abstract: An expandable implant includes an upper main support, a lower main support, an upper pivoting support, and a lower pivoting support. The upper main support and the upper pivoting support are configured to engage a first portion of bone, and the lower main support is coupled to the upper main support and configured to engage a second portion of bone. The upper main support is adjustable relative to the lower main support to adjust height of the implant. The upper pivoting support is rotatably movable relative to the upper main support. The lower pivoting support is coupled to the upper pivoting support, configured to engage the second bone portion, and is rotatably movable relative to the lower main support. Adjusting the upper main support relative to the lower main support causes adjustment of the upper pivoting support relative to the lower pivoting support.

Abstract: An expandable implant includes an upper plate configured to receive a first anchoring member, an upper support mechanically coupled to the upper plate, a lower plate configured to receive a second anchoring member, and a lower support mechanically coupled to the lower plate. The implant further includes a control member including a shaft and configured to control movement between the upper support and the lower support, a front portion configured engage the upper support and the lower support and further configured to receive the head of the control member, and a rear portion configured engage the upper support and the lower support and further configured to engage a portion of the shaft, wherein turning the control member causes the front portion to move in a direction towards the rear portion, such that the upper support moves relative to the lower support in a direction away from the lower support.

Abstract: A spine plate implant utilizes cam lock setscrews to retain bone screws in the plate once implanted. A cam lock setscrew is received in a setscrew pocket adjacent a configured bone screw bore of the plate and is configured to allow a bone screw to be received in the plate when in an unlocked rotational position, and to retain the received bone screw when in a locked rotational position. The bone screw may include a tang that allows engagement with external teeth of the cam lock setscrew when the cam lock setscrew is rotated into the locked position. Once the cam lock setscrew is in the locked position, the bone screw is inhibited from backing out of the bone screw bore. When the cam lock setscrew is in the unlocked position, a flat of the cam lock setscrew is adjacent the bone screw tang so the bone screw may be removed.

Abstract: A spine implant (e.g., for a TLIF surgical procedure) is configured to be steered into place during implantation in conjunction with a complementary insertion instrument. The cage of the implant is constrained to a limited range of rotation about a post carried by the cage. The insertion instrument is configured to hold the post while controllably rotating the cage relative to the post in order to angularly position the implant during implantation. Range of rotational motion is controlled by the configuration of a groove in the post. A retaining pin of the implant extends from the cage into the groove of the post to rotationally connect the cage to the post.

Abstract: A plate and an installation tool are provided for preventing a spinal facet joint implant from expulsing from its implant location between a superior and an inferior vertebra. A k-wire is used in cooperation with the plate and installation tool to guide them to the desired location. The plate includes a central threaded bore situated between one or two superior bone screw or bone connection barb bores and one or two inferior bone screw or bone connection barb bores. The installation tool includes a threaded plug at one end for receipt by the plate's central threaded bore for releasably holding the plate during installation. The installation tool has a superior structure and an inferior structure that can be a cannula or tang depending on the plate's form.

Abstract: A medical instrument for shaving, collecting, and removing vertebral disc material from a vertebral disc space of a spine, has a shaft defining a proximal shaft end and a distal shaft end, and an auger at the distal shaft end. The auger has a plurality of helical cutting flutes configured to shave and collect vertebral disc material from the vertebral disc through rotation of the auger. Each helical cutting flute has a cutting apex that together define a cutting tip, and a radially inward helical slot that collectively define an internal cavity for collection of cut vertebral disc material. The plurality of cutting apexes converge at the cutting tip, defining a point. The medical instrument includes a connector to allow attachment of a handle. A notch in the proximal shaft end that receives a flange of the handle prevents rotation of the handle relative to the auger.

Abstract: A lateral spine implant has a lateral spine cage and an associated lateral spine plate with one or more folding vertebral attachment arms, each arm configured for attachment to vertebral bone. The ability of the one or more arms to fold allows the lateral spine plate to be inserted/implanted at a lower profile height than traditional lateral spine plates. The lateral spine plate is meant to be used at times of intended or unintended compromise of the anterior longitudinal ligament (ALL) to prevent interbody cage migration, but may be adapted for any lateral plating application. Once expanded, each attachment arm is configured to receive a bone screw for securing the attachment arm to a vertebra, the bone screw retained by rotating cam lock nuts of the attachment arm.

Abstract: A two-piece medical instrument for installing an expandable interbody (intervertebral) spine implant via an endoscope, has a handle assembly and a shaft assembly configured for extension through the endoscope, the shaft assembly holding an expandable interbody spine implant when the shaft assembly is fully received by a head of the handle assembly, and releasing the spine implant upon retraction of the shaft assembly from the head of the handle assembly. The shaft assembly has a rod with a longitudinal bore and a sleeve situated on the rod that axially moves relative to the rod in response to the reception into and retraction from the handle assembly head, with the sleeve controlling capture and release of the implant by the rod. The distal end of the rod has a clamp formed by jaws that flex to capture and release the implant.

Abstract: A bone screw for sacroiliac joint fusion is characterized by a longitudinal bone screw and a cylindrical sleeve received on a proximal end of the bone screw. The sleeve has axially extending fins or flutes on its outer surface that extend generally from one end of the sleeve to the other end of the sleeve. This feature allows the sleeve to resist reverse rotation which, in turn, aids in preventing back-out of the bone screw once installed. The bone screw has a self-tapping tip that allows the bone screw to be installed without need for a pilot hole, and self-harvesting geometry that gathers and retains bone shavings in and along the bone screw that are produced by bone screw installation for use as graft for bone fusion.

Abstract: An implant includes a plurality of anchoring members and an interbody device. The interbody device includes a front, a rear, a first lateral side, a second lateral side, a central cavity, and a plurality of bores each configured to receive the plurality of anchoring members. The interbody device further includes a porous portion and a solid portion, the solid portion having a higher density than the porous portion. The solid portion substantially surrounds the porous portion on the lateral outer portions of the front, rear, first lateral side, and second lateral side.

Abstract: A medical instrument fashioned as an articulating curette for decorticating vertebral endplates of vertebrae of a spine via a cannula has a handle, a controller connected to the handle, two opposing arms extending from the controller, a control shaft between the two opposing arms and coupled to the controller for longitudinally axial movement thereof by the controller relative to the two opposing arms, a bladed decorticating head for decorticating vertebral endplate bone material from vertebral endplates and pivotally connected to the two opposing arms for articulation from 0° to 90° relative to the longitudinal axis of the control shaft, and a pivot mechanism between the bladed decorticating head and the control shaft providing controlled articulation of the bladed decorticating head through longitudinally axial movement of the control shaft. Rotational movement of the controller moves the control shaft axially relative to the two opposing arms to articulate the bladed decorticating head.

Abstract: A vertebral endplate preparation (decorticating) tool has height adjustable blades at a distal end of a shaft assembly for decorticating/shaving vertebral endplate material from spinal vertebrae, translates axial movement of a control rod of the shaft assembly of the vertebral endplate preparation tool with height adjustable blades into radial blade height change (extension and retraction) through a controller of a handle assembly. The blades may also be configured for collecting and removing shaved vertebral endplate material. The blades controllably move outward radially from the distal end of the shaft assembly and controllably move inward radially into the distal end of the shaft assembly upon manipulation of the controller. Radial blade extension and retraction from the distal end may be accomplished via mutual angled dovetail features of the blades and the distal end, or via pins of the distal end of the shaft assembly situated in angled slots of the blades.

Abstract: A pituitary rongeur medical instrument has jaws that can controllably articulate radially from a longitudinal axis of a shaft assembly of the pituitary rongeur and beyond a perimeter of a cannula during use. The pituitary rongeur is characterized by a handle, a shaft assembly defining a proximal end extending from the handle, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis, with the jaws pivotally connected to the distal end of the shaft assembly for articulating radial movement of the jaws relative to the longitudinal axis of the shaft assembly, a jaw controller associated with the shaft assembly and configured to controllably close and open the jaws, and an articulation controller associated with the shaft assembly and configured to controllably articulate the jaws. The handle is formed by a handgrip portion configured to receive a palm of a user and a lever portion with a finger loop configured to receive fingers of the user.

Abstract: An implant includes a first support, a second support rotatably coupled to the first support along a distal end of the implant, and a control assembly configured to move the implant between at least a first, collapsed orientation and a second, expanded orientation, the control assembly includes a control driver coupled to the first support and comprising a head and a shaft, the control driver configured to control relative movement between the first support and the second support, a control member configured to move along the shaft of the control driver, and a first linkage hingedly coupled to the control member and the second support, wherein movement of the control member causes the first support to move relative to the second support.

Abstract: An expandable includes a base member having a top surface and a bottom surface opposite the top surface, and an adjustable member adjustably coupled to the base member and movable between a first, collapsed position, and a second, expanded position. The adjustable member has a top surface and a bottom surface opposite the top surface. The top surface of the adjustable member and the bottom surface of the base member form a first angle while the adjustable member is in the first, collapsed position, and the top surface of the adjustable member and the bottom surface of the base member form a second angle while the adjustable member is in the second, expanded position. The first angle is different from the second angle.

Abstract: A medical instrument for dislodging vertebral disc material from a vertebral disc in a vertebral disc space via a cannula has a pivoting scoop structure with a scoop that provides a 180° pivot sweep outside of the diameter of the cannula. The medical instrument has an elongate body defining a longitudinal axis with the pivoting scoop structure situated at a distal end of the elongate body. The elongate body has a first elongate shaft and a second elongate shaft situated on and configured for longitudinal axial translation relative to the first elongate shaft. Axial movement of the second elongate shaft controllably swivels the pivoting scoop structure from, through, and between 0° to 180° relative to the longitudinal axis of the elongate body. The scoop structure may also allow for collection and removal of dislodged vertebral disc material.

Abstract: A surgical system includes an instrument portal comprising a first proximal end, a first distal end, and a first elongated member, the first elongated member comprising a first bore defining a first diameter, wherein the first bore extends from the first distal end to the first proximal end, wherein the maximum clearance of the instrument portal is the first diameter, and a drill guide reducer configured to be inserted into the instrument portal, the drill guide reducer comprising an elongated cylindrical member defining an outside diameter such that the drill guide reducer is sized to fit within the instrument portal and defining an inner diameter configured to receive a drill guide, wherein the inner diameter of the drill guide reducer is smaller than the first diameter of the instrument portal.

Abstract: A spine implant for receipt between and fastened to a lower vertebra and an adjacent upper vertebra is characterized by an expandable cage and an expandable plate attached to the expandable cage. When the expandable cage is expanded, both the expandable cage and the expandable plate expand together at a uniform rate of movement. Engagement features of the expandable cage cooperate with engagement features of the expandable plate such that expansion of the expandable cage carries the expandable plate along during its expansion. The engagement features of the expandable cage may be configured as notches, cavities, or recessed pockets, while the engagement features of the expandable plate may be configured as tangs, flanges, or protuberances styled to be received by the configured notches of the expandable cage. Cam locks on the expandable plate help bone fastener backout.