EXPANDABLE INTERVERTEBRAL IMPLANT AND ASSOCIATED METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME

摘要

An expandable intervertebral implant (10) includes superior (20) and inferior (30) bone contacting members and at least one vertical wire netting (50) interconnecting the superior and inferior bone contacting members. The superior and inferior bone contacting members include at least two bone contacting components interconnected via one or more lateral wire nettings such that the implant is vertically and laterally expandable in situ from a first insertion configuration to a second expanded configuration. The vertical and lateral wire netting are preferably constructed of a plurality of individual link members. The present invention also preferably relates to an associated method of manufacturing the intervertebral implant such that the intervertebral implant can be manufactured as an integral component or part.

主权项

1. An expandable intervertebral implant comprising:
a superior bone contacting member that defines a superior portion of a proximal terminal end of the implant and a superior portion of a distal terminal end of the implant that is opposite proximal terminal end of the implant along a longitudinal direction, the superior bone contacting member including a first superior bone contacting component, a second superior bone contacting component spaced from the first superior bone contacting component along a lateral direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and a first expandable lateral component interconnected between the first and second superior bone contacting components along the lateral direction; an inferior bone contacting member that defines an inferior portion of each of the proximal terminal end and the distal terminal end, the inferior bone contacting member opposite the superior bone contacting member in a vertical direction that is perpendicular to both the lateral direction and the longitudinal direction, the inferior bone contacting member including a first inferior bone contacting component, a second inferior bone contacting component spaced from the first inferior bone contacting component along the lateral direction, and a second expandable lateral component interconnected between the first and second inferior bone contacting components along the lateral direction; and at least one expandable vertical component interconnected between the superior and inferior bone contacting members along the vertical direction, wherein the implant is expandable in situ in both the vertical direction and the lateral direction from a first insertion configuration to a second expanded configuration, whereby 1) the first expandable lateral component expands along the lateral direction as respective entireties of the first superior bone contacting component and the second superior bone contacting component move away from each other along the lateral direction, 2) the second expandable lateral component expands along the lateral direction as respective entireties of the first inferior bone contacting component and the second inferior bone contacting component move away from each other along the lateral direction, and 3) the at least one expandable vertical component expands along the vertical direction as respective entireties of the superior bone contacting member and the inferior bone contacting member move away from each other along the vertical direction.