Abstract: A device and method of attaching an elongated rod to different vertebral members to form a spinal fixation system. The device comprises a securement member having a first section that is positioned within the vertebral member. A second section extends laterally outward from the first section. A receiving member is mounted to the second section to receive the elongated rod. Receiving member includes a receiver for receiving and attaching to the second section. The receiving member is laterally movable along the lateral section for positioning the elongated rod relative to the spine of the patient. The length of the second section provides for mounting the first section at a variety of anatomically conducive locations on the vertebral member while supporting the elongated rod.

Abstract: In one embodiment of the invention, an anterior fixation system includes a plate defining a plurality of screw holes, a number of screws and a number of locking assemblies for fixing the screws to the plate. The system includes two bone screws a fixed angle screw and a variable angle screw, that are configured to extend through the same screw openings in the fixation plate. The surgeon can select either the fixed or variable angled screws to be implanted with a single plate and can place either type of screw into any of the screw holes along the plate. The fixation plate according to the invention can include several screw holes in various patterns that provide the surgeon with great flexibility in the placement of bone screws depending upon the spinal anatomy and pathology. The invention further contemplates a locking assembly to lock one or more bone screws within a respective screw hole. In one embodiment, the locking assembly includes a washer that is held to the plate by a staked locking screw.

Abstract: In one embodiment of the invention, an anterior fixation system includes a plate defining a plurality of screw holes, a number of screws and a number of locking assemblies for fixing the screws to the plate. The system includes two bone screws, a fixed angle screw and a variable angle screw, that are configured to extend through the same screw openings in the fixation plate. The surgeon can select either the fixed or variable angled screws to be implanted with a single plate and can place either type of screw into any of the screw holes along the plate. The fixation plate according to the invention can include several screw holes in various patterns that provide the surgeon with great flexibility in the placement of bone screws depending upon the spinal anatomy and pathology. The invention further contemplates a locking assembly to lock one or more bone screws within a respective screw hole. In one embodiment, the locking assembly includes a washer that is held to the plate by a staked locking screw.

Abstract: A posterior fixation system includes a saddle member, an anchoring member, an occipital plate, an occipital rod, and a cross-link connector. The anchoring member anchors the saddle member to bone. The saddle member includes a pair of upright portions that define a channel. The channel is adapted to receive an orthopedic rod, and the saddle member can include a hole to receive the anchoring member. The saddle member and the anchoring member can be coupled so as to allow multi-axial movement of the members. The anchoring member in one embodiment is a screw coupled to the hole of the saddle, and in another embodiment, the anchoring member is a hook. The offset member may be coupled to the saddle member to allow for offset connection of rods. Connection of individual rods can be accomplished by connecting the rods with the cross-link connector. The cross-link connector has an integrally formed cylindrical member that couples a pair of coupling portions together.

Abstract: A posterior fixation system includes a saddle member, an anchoring member, an occipital plate, an occipital rod, and a cross-link connector. The anchoring member anchors the saddle member to bone. The saddle member includes a pair of upright portions that define a channel. The channel is adapted to receive an orthopedic rod, and the saddle member can include a hole to receive the anchoring member. The saddle member and the anchoring member can be coupled so as to allow multi-axial movement of the members. The anchoring member in one embodiment is a screw coupled to the hole of the saddle, and in another embodiment, the anchoring member is a hook. The offset member may be coupled to the saddle member to allow for offset connection of rods. Connection of individual rods can be accomplished by connecting the rods with the cross-link connector. The cross-link connector has an integrally formed cylindrical member that couples a pair of coupling portions together.

Abstract: In one embodiment of the invention, an anterior fixation system includes a plate defining a plurality of screw holes, a number of screws and a number of locking assemblies for fixing the screws to the plate. The system includes two bone screws, a fixed angle screw and a variable angle screw, that are configured to extend through the same screw openings in the fixation plate. The surgeon can select either the fixed or variable angled screws to be implanted with a single plate and can place either type of screw into any of the screw holes along the plate. The fixation plate according to the invention can include several screw holes in various patterns that provide the surgeon with great flexibility in the placement of bone screws depending upon the spinal anatomy and pathology. The invention further contemplates a locking assembly to lock one or more bone screws within a respective screw hole. In one embodiment, the locking assembly includes a washer that is held to the plate by a staked locking screw.

Abstract: and methods for attaching an implant to bone are disclosed. In one embodiment, the device 10 includes an elongated stud 15 defining an engaging surface 16 and a foot 20 projecting outwardly from an end 18 of the stud 15. The foot 20 is receivable through an opening O in the cortical layer R of the bone B and includes an upper surface 21 for contacting an internal surface R' of the cortical layer R. A fastener 25 is provided for engaging the engaging surface 16 of the stud 15, having a surface 29 for bearing against the implant I to clamp the implant I to the bone B when the fastener 25 is engaged to the engaging surface 16 of the stud 15 and the foot 20 is received in the opening O. In another embodiment, the apparatus 30 includes a number of additional studs 31 which are extendable together through the opening O. A wedge 36 can be provided to clamp the multiple studs within the bone opening.

Abstract: A cable used in spinal surgery has one crimp of a two crimp assembly crimped to one end of it. The second crimp has a ball held in a socket of the first crimp. The other end of the cable is passed around the bone or bones and any necessary orthopedic spinal device and it is then passed through an aperture in the second crimp. The cable is then tensioned by application thereto of a tensioning tool with the tool applied to the cable and to an abutment face of the second crimp, whereupon the cable is tensioned, with the ball and socket arrangement enabling swiveling of the crimps with respect to each other, thus minimizing sharp bends in the cable. Then the second crimp portion receiving the cable portion in the aperture adjacent the tensioning tool is crimped onto that cable portion to complete the attachment. Then the tensioning tool is removed, and the free end of the cable is cut off at the abutment surface.

Abstract: One embodiment of an implant insertion device includes a handle, a shaft having a proximal end attached to the handle and a distal end and a pair of jaws each having a first end attached to the distal end of the shaft, a free second end and a gripping element at the second end. The free ends of the jaws are movable between gripping positions to grasp the implant between the gripping elements and releasing positions to release the implant. The jaws are biased apart to the releasing positions. Each of the gripping elements defines a substantially uniform or flat gripping surface. In some embodiments the gripping surfaces include teeth. The gripping surfaces face one another to contact the surface of the implant when the jaws are in the gripping positions. The devices of this invention also include a hollow sleeve slidably disposed over the jaws for forcing the jaws together towards the gripping positions.

Abstract: A cable used in spinal surgery has one crimp of a two crimp assembly crimped to one end of it. The second crimp has a ball held in a socket of the first crimp. The other end of the cable is passed around the bone or bones and any necessary orthopedic spinal device and it is then passed through an aperture in the second crimp. The cable is then tensioned by application thereto of a tensioning tool with the tool applied to the cable and to an abutment face of the second crimp, whereupon the cable is tensioned, with the ball and socket arrangement enabling swiveling of the crimps with respect to each other, thus minimizing sharp bends in the cable. Then the second crimp portion receiving the cable portion in the aperture adjacent the tensioning tool is crimped onto that cable portion to complete the attachment. Then the tensioning tool is removed, and the free end of the cable is cut off at the abutment surface.

Abstract: One embodiment of an implant insertion device includes a handle, a shaft having a proximal end attached to the handle and a distal end and a pair of jaws each having a first end attached to the distal end of the shaft, a free second end and a gripping element at the second end. The free ends of the jaws are movable between gripping positions to grasp the implant between the gripping elements and releasing positions to release the implant. The jaws are biased apart to the releasing positions. Each of the gripping elements defines a substantially uniform or flat gripping surface. In some embodiments the gripping surfaces include teeth. The gripping surfaces face one another to contact the surface of the implant when the jaws are in the gripping positions. The devices of this invention also include a hollow sleeve slidably disposed over the jaws for forcing the jaws together towards the gripping positions.

Abstract: A cable used in spinal surgery has one crimp of a two crimp assembly crimped to one end of it. The second crimp has a ball held in a socket of the first crimp. The other end of the cable is passed around the bone or bones and any necessary orthopedic spinal device and it is then passed through an aperture in the second crimp. The cable is then tensioned by application thereto of a tensioning tool with the tool applied to the cable and to an abutment face of the second crimp, whereupon the cable is tensioned, with the ball and socket arrangement enabling swiveling of the crimps with respect to each other, thus minimizing sharp bends in the cable. Then the second crimp portion receiving the cable portion in the aperture adjacent the tensioning tool is crimped onto that cable portion to complete the attachment. Then tile tensioning tool is removed, and the free end of the cable is cut off at the abutment surface.

Abstract: A spinal fixation system comprises an elongated fixation plate (13) having an elongated slot (21) with a number of concave depressions (28,25) formed at the top and bottom surfaces (19,17) of the plate. The system further includes a pedicle screw (40) and a nut (32) for load transmission between a vertebra and the plate. The pedicle screw includes a threaded nut engaging portion (42), a threaded bone engaging portion (44) and an intermediate portion (46) therebetween which has rigid upper and lower arcuate surfaces (47) that are complementary to the concave depressions in the plate. The nut also includes a rigid lower arcuate surface (36) which is complementary to the upper concave depressions of the plate. In one assembled configuration the plate is clamped between the upper arcuate surface of the pedicle screw and the nut. In an alternative embodiment of the pedicle screw (70), the intermediate portion has an upper and lower arcuate surface (79,77) of different spherical radii of curvature.

Abstract: A a spinal fixation system comprises an elongated fixation plate having a bottom side for facing the vertebrae, an opposite top side extending generally parallel to the bottom side, and an elongated slot defined therethrough which extends substantially along the length of the plate. The slot has a lower edge at the intersection of the slot and the bottom surface and an upper edge at the intersection of the slot and the top surface with a number of concave depressions formed at each edge. In one embodiment, the concave depressions at the lower and upper edges of the slot form comparable scalloped surfaces. In another embodiment, the lower edge of the slot forms a single concave surface extending around the entire perimeter of the lower edge of the slot. The system further includes a pedicle screw and a nut for load transmission between the vertebrae and the fixation plate. The pedicle screw includes a threaded nut engaging portion, a threaded bone engaging portion and an intermediate portion therebetween.

Abstract: A double-apertured L-shaped crimp is crimped to one end of a cable. The other end of the cable is passed around the bone or bones and, if the situation requires, any orthopedic appliance or device to be attached to the bones, and it is then passed through the other aperture in the crimp. The cable is then tensioned by application thereto of a tensioning tool with the tool applied to the cable and to an abutment face of the crimp, whereupon the cable is tensioned. Then the cable portion in the aperture adjacent the tensioning tool is crimped onto the cable to complete the attachment. Then the tensioning tool is removed, and the free end of the cable is cut off at the abutment surface.

Abstract: A double-apertured L-shaped crimp is crimped to one end of a cable. The other end of the cable is passed around the bone and an orthopedic device to be attached to the bone, and it is then passed through the other aperture in the crimp. A releasable, lever-operated cable clamp is installed on the cable, followed by a tensioning tool. The tensioning tool applies a pre-positioning tension on the cable. The cable clamp is clamped to the cable to hold the tension. The tool is removed for use on another cable. When ready for final tensioning, the tensioning tool is re-installed, adjusted to the desired final tension, the crimp swaged onto the cable to hold the final tension, the cable clamp unclamped, the tensioning tool released and removed with the cable clamp, and the cable is cut off at the crimp.

Abstract: A a spinal fixation system comprises an elongated fixation plate having a bottom side for facing the vertebrae, an opposite top side extending generally parallel to the bottom side, and an elongated slot defined therethrough which extends substantially along the length of the plate. The slot has a lower edge at the intersection of the slot and the bottom surface and an upper edge at the intersection of the slot and the top surface with a number of concave depressions formed at each edge. In one embodiment, the concave depressions at the lower and upper edges of the slot form comparable scalloped surfaces. In another embodiment, the lower edge of the slot forms a single concave surface extending around the entire perimeter of the lower edge of the slot. The system further includes a pedicle screw and a nut for load transmission between the vertebrae and the fixation plate. The pedicle screw includes a threaded nut engaging portion, a threaded bone engaging portion and an intermediate portion therebetween.

Abstract: A device for holding in compression, a bone graft placed in the space between two vertebral bodies and from which a diseased or injured vertebral body has been removed, comprises an elongate space-spanning plate of implant grade material having a concavo-convex cross section, with an integral prong at each end to be driven into the vertebral bodies. Each prong has a proximal portion and a distal portion, with each portion having an inboard surface facing an inboard surface of the other prong, the inboard surfaces converging as they extend from the distal ends of the prongs toward the concave surface of the plate to urge the vertebral bodies toward each other as the prongs are driven into them. The outboard surface at the proximal portion of the prong is parallel to the inboard surface and at the distal portion converges from the proximal portion to intersection with the inboard surface at the distal end of the prong.

Abstract: A tool assembly has a shaft with a sleeve slidable along it. A hexagonal drive post at the lower end of tile shaft is received in a hex socket at the upper end of a bone bolt secured in a patient's spine. A nut to secure a connector on the bolt, is temporarily stored on a short thread on the shaft near the lower end. The sleeve is slid down the shaft and a hex socket at tile lower end of tile sleeve is received on the nut. The sleeve is manually turned while a handle on a drive post at the top of the shaft prevents the shaft, and thereby the bolt, from turning. As the sleeve turns, the nut is turned off the short thread and down onto the bolt thread. A torque wrench coupled to a tool receiving surface at the top of the sleeve tightens the nut on the bolt to the specified torque while the handle on the top of the shaft prevents the bolt from turning.

Abstract: A spinal fixation system includes a relatively rigid fixation plate which is engaged to a plurality of vertebrae by bone screws or bolts. The plate includes a longitudinal slot defined therethrough with an arrangement of scallops formed at the edge of the slot on the upper and lower surfaces of the plate. The scallop arrangement includes a first set of scallops formed at one spherical radius and a second set of scallops nested within the first that are formed at a smaller radius. Thus, the fixation plate can accommodate bone screws or bolts, or other bone engagement or load transmitting components having curved engagement surfaces of various diameters and providing varying degrees of rigidity. In another feature of the invention, a C-shaped ring is provided which encircles the plate to entrap the side walls of the plate, thereby restricting the plate walls from spreading as the bone screws or bolts are tightened onto the plate.