Multi-piece vertebral attachment device
A multi-piece vertebral attachment device with a first member, one or more second members, and optionally, a removable plug. The first member may have a fixed, threaded exterior surface to engage a vertebral member. The first member may further include a hollow, threaded interior. The hollow interior may be positioned inside the threaded exterior surface and at least partly positioned within the vertebral member when the first member is inserted in the vertebral member. The second member may have an outer diameter sized to fit within the hollow interior of the first member. A spinal implant device may be coupled to the second member. The second member may be installed during a separate surgical procedure from that of the first. The removable plug may be installed in the first member until the second member is installed. Revision may be performed by removing the second member and inserting a third member.
1 . A device to attach to a vertebral member comprising:
a first member having a fixed outer diameter and a threaded exterior surface adapted to engage said vertebral member, the first member further having a hollow interior and further having an engagement mechanism, the hollow interior at least partly positioned within the vertebral member when the threaded exterior surface is engaged with said vertebral member; and
a second member having an outer diameter sized to fit within the hollow interior of the first member and engage with the engagement mechanism, the second member being sized to prevent the first member from expanding during insertion of the second member.
2 . The device of claim 1 wherein the second member further comprises threads adapted to mate with a threaded interior surface of the first member.
3 . The device of claim 1 wherein the second member further comprises an enlarged head portion that limits the insertion depth of the second member into the first member.
4 . The device of claim 1 wherein the second member further comprises an attachment portion adapted to couple to a spinal implant device.
5 . The device of claim 4 wherein the attachment portion is multi-axially adjustable.
6 . The device of claim 1 wherein the first member comprises a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end being closed.
7 . The device of claim 1 further comprising a removable plug sized to fit within the hollow interior of the first member.
8 . The device of claim 7 wherein the removable plug is threaded to mate with the engagement mechanism of the first member.
9 . The device of claim 1 wherein the first member has a substantially conical shape.
10 . A device to attach to a vertebral member comprising:
a first member having exterior threads and a hollow interior disposed internal to the exterior threads, the exterior threads adapted to engage said vertebral member, the first member further having a hollow interior;
a second member sized to fit into the hollow interior of the first member; and
a removable plug sized to fit within and seal the hollow interior.
11 . The device of claim 10 wherein the hollow interior of the first member comprises internal threads.
12 . The device of claim 11 wherein the second member further comprises external threads adapted to engage the internal threads of the first member.
13 . The device of claim 11 wherein the removable plug further comprises external threads adapted to engage the internal threads of the first member.
14 . The device of claim 10 wherein the second member comprises a coupling to attach to a spinal implant device.
15 . The device of claim 14 wherein the coupling is multi-axially adjustable.
16 . The device of claim 10 wherein the removable plug further comprises a drive feature to insert and remove the removable plug from the first member.
17 . The device of claim 10 wherein the first member is constructed of a biocompatible metal.
18 . A method of attaching a device to a vertebral member, the method comprising:
during a first surgical procedure, screwing a first member into a vertebral member with a distal end positioned within the vertebral member and a proximal end adjacent to a surface of the vertebral member;
waiting until a predetermined condition is satisfied for the first member to become set within the vertebral member; and
during a second surgical procedure after the predetermined condition is satisfied, positioning a second member into the first member at a depth within the vertebral member to bring a head portion of the second member to a working height adjacent to the proximal end of the first member.
19 . The method of claim 18 wherein the step of positioning the second member into the first member further comprises maintaining a fixed outer diameter of the first member.
20 . The method of claim 18 further comprising attaching a spinal implant device to the second member.
21 . The method of claim 18 further comprising removing a removable plug from interior threads of the first member prior to positioning the second member into the first member.
22 . The method of claim 18 wherein the step of screwing the first member into the vertebral member further comprises applying an adhesive to integrate the first member to the vertebral member.
23 . The method of claim 18 wherein the step of screwing the first member into the vertebral member further comprises applying a bone morphogenetic protein to integrate the first member to the vertebral member.
24 . The method of claim 18 further comprising:
during a third surgical procedure distanced temporally from the second surgical procedure, unscrewing the second member from the first member and screwing a third member into interior threads of the first member to a depth within the vertebral member and to bring a head portion of the third member to a working height adjacent to the proximal end of the first member.
25 . The method of claim 24 further comprising attaching a spinal implant device to the third member.
26 . A method of attaching a device to a vertebral member comprising the steps of:
during a first procedure, inserting a first member into a vertebral member, the first member having a removable plug to seal a hollow interior;
waiting until a predetermined condition is satisfied for the first member to become set within the vertebral member; and
during a second procedure after the predetermined condition is satisfied, removing the removable plug from the first member and inserting a second member into the hollow interior of the first member.
27 . The method of claim 26 further comprising coupling a spinal implant device to the second member.
28 . The method of claim 26 wherein the step of inserting the first member into the vertebral member comprises screwing the first member into the vertebral member.
29 . The method of claim 26 wherein the step of removing the removable plug from the first member comprises unscrewing the removable plug from the first member.
30 . The method of claim 26 wherein the step of inserting a second member into the hollow interior of the first member comprises screwing the second member into the hollow interior of the first member.
31 . The method of claim 26 wherein the step of inserting the first member into a vertebral member comprises applying an adhesive to the first member to promote integration of the first member to the vertebral member.
32 . The method of claim 26 wherein the step of inserting the first member into a vertebral member comprises applying a bone morphogenetic protein to the first member to promote integration of the first member to the vertebral member.