Spinal fixation devices and methods of use

摘要

Placement apparatus and methods of use for impanation of spacers within an inter-vertebral disc space. In one embodiment, the load-bearing superstructure of the implant is subdivided and the bone forming material is positioned within an internal space of the placement instrument but external to the load bearing elements themselves. At least a portion of the bone graft material is freely contained within the disc space. A method of using the device is also described. In one embodiment, the placement device is used to place the implantable spacers at opposing ends of the disc space using a directly lateral surgical approach.

主权项

1. A method for the treatment of a condition that afflicts a functional spinal unit, comprising:
entering a first lateral side surface of an intervertebral disc space of said functional spinal unit, the intervertebral disc space further comprising an anterior side surface, an opposing second contralateral side surface and at least one coronal plane that divides the intervertebral disc space into an anterior and a posterior segment; positioning a first implantable spacer through said first lateral side surface, across a mid-sagittal plane of the intervertebral disc space and onto a contralateral section of a superior bony surface of a body segment of an inferior vertebral bone of said functional spinal unit; positioning a second implantable spacer, non-integrally formed with the first implantable spacer, through said first lateral side surface and positioning at least a segment thereof onto a section of said superior bony surface of the inferior vertebral bone, said section being ipsilateral to said first lateral side surface; wherein each of said implantable spacers comprises an inferior surface and a superior surface that are connected by a side surface and are positioned to respectively abut said superior bony surface of the inferior vertebral bone and an inferior bony surface of a body segment of a superior vertebral bone of the functional spinal unit; wherein said side surface of the first implantable spacer further extends from a front to a back end along a curvature whose value is unchanged by said act of positioning the first implantable spacer; wherein each of the first lateral and second contralateral side surfaces of said intervertebral disc space comprise a height that extends from said superior bony surface of the inferior vertebral bone to said inferior bony surface of the superior vertebral bone when measured in one of said at least one coronal planes; and wherein, after said acts of implantable spacer positioning, said height of the first lateral side surface differs from said height of the second contralateral side surface.