SPRING JUNCTION AND ASSEMBLY METHODS FOR SPINAL DEVICE

摘要

Spinal stabilization devices, systems and methods are provided that include a spring junction wherein a structural member is mountable to a spine attachment fastener and a resilient element is affixed to the structural member along an attachment region of the resilient element. The attachment region is disposed physically separately with respect to an active region of the resilient element. The attachment region can include a weld region produced via an E-beam welding process involving temperatures of 1000° F or greater, wherein a heat-affected zone adjacent the weld region is disposed physically separately with respect to the active region. The resilient element may be a coil spring including bend regions adjacent its outermost (i.e., last) coils wherein the material of the coil spring initially bends away from the last coil, then bends back toward the last coil before terminating near the last coil. A weld cap can be configured and dimensioned to interact with the resilient element, and the structural member, e.g., an end cap, so as to securely position the spring relative to the end cap. The weld cap functions to distance the welding process and associated welding energy from the spring, thereby avoiding and/or minimizing any potentially undesirable annealing effect associated with securing/welding the spring relative to the end cap. Alignment grooves or channels may be provided for orienting or aligning the spring with respect to the end caps and weld caps.