ARTIFICIAL INTERVERTEBRAL DISC HAVING AN ARCHED SPRING FORCE RESTORING ELEMENT

摘要

An artificial disc having a pair of opposing plates (100a, 100b) for seating against opposing vertebral bone surfaces, separated by at least one spring assembly (200). In preferred embodiments, the spring assembly includes one or more arch springs (300), domed arch springs (400), slotted domed arch springs (500), slotted partial circular domed arch springs (600), and/or multi-pronged domed arch springs (700). In these embodiments, the springs are secured to at least one of the plates by fasteners (124d). In some embodiments, the spring is modified to mount onto a semispherical protuberance (102d) extending from one of the plates; the spring and the protuberance are flexibly coupled such that the opposing plates may rotate and angulate relative to one another.