ARTIFICIAL DISC WITH ENDPLATES HAVING CAGES TO PROMOTE BONE FUSION
The present invention provides an anchor to attach an artificial disc to vertebral bodies. The artificial disc comprises a superior endplate and an inferior endplate. A disc section extends between the endplates. The superior endplate comprises a first wall defining a first cavity, the first cavity to contain material to facilitate fusion of the superior endplate to a superior vertebral body. Similarly, the inferior endplate comprises a second wall defining a second cavity, the second cavity to contain material to facilitate fusion of the superior endplate to a superior vertebral body.
1 . An artificial disc comprising:
a superior endplate;
an inferior endplate; and
a disc section extending between the superior endplate and the inferior endplate, wherein the superior endplate comprises a first wall defining a first cavity, the first cavity to contain material to facilitate fusion of the superior endplate to a superior vertebral body, and the inferior endplate comprises a second wall defining a second cavity, the second cavity to contain material to facilitate fusion of the superior endplate to a superior vertebral body.
2 . The artificial disc of claim 1 , wherein the material to facilitate fusion comprises cancellous bone.
3 . The artificial disc of claim 1 , wherein the material to facilitate fusion comprises osteogenic material.
4 . The artificial disc of claim 1 , wherein the superior endplate comprises at least one superior perforation in the first wall.
5 . The artificial disc of claim 4 , wherein the inferior endplate comprises at least one inferior perforation in the second wall.
6 . The artificial disc of claim 1 , wherein the superior endplate comprises a fusion cage structure.
7 . The artificial disc of claim 6 , wherein the inferior endplate comprises a fusion cage structure.
8 . The artificial disc of claim 1 , wherein the disc section comprises a cover.
9 . The artificial disc of claim 8 , wherein the cover inhibits bone growth.
10 . The artificial disc of claim 1 , further comprising a superior bone growth barrier between the superior endplate and the disc section and an inferior bone growth barrier between the inferior endplate and the disc section.
11 . The artificial disc of claim 1 , further comprising at least one superior protrusion on the superior endplate to facilitate anchoring with the superior vertebral body and at least one inferior protrusion on the inferior endplate to facilitate anchoring with the inferior vertebral body.
12 . The artificial disc of claim 11 , wherein the at least one superior protrusion and the at least one inferior protrusion comprise a spike.
13 . The artificial disc of claim 1 , further comprising a stabilization device to stabilize the spine and facilitate fusion of the superior endplate and the inferior endplate.
14 . The artificial disc of claim 13 , wherein the stabilization device comprises a resorbable plate coupled to the superior vertebral body and the inferior vertebral body.
15 . An artificial disc comprising:
a superior endplate;
an inferior endplate; and
an elastic material residing between the superior endplate and the inferior endplate, wherein
the superior endplate comprises at least one superior perforation to facilitate bone growth between a superior vertebral body and the superior endplate, and
the inferior endplate comprises at least one inferior perforation to facilitate bone growth between the inferior vertebral body and the inferior endplate.
16 . The artificial disc of claim 15 , wherein
the superior endplate comprises a first sidewall defining a first cavity and wherein the at least one superior perforation resides in the first sidewall;
the inferior endplate comprises a second sidewall defining a second cavity and wherein the at least one inferior perforation resides in the second sidewall.
17 . The artificial disc of claim 16 , wherein the at least one superior perforation comprises a plurality of holes and the at least one inferior perforation comprises a plurality of holes such that the superior endplate and the inferior endplate function as a bone fusion cage.
18 . The artificial disc of claim 16 , further comprising bone growth material packed into the first cavity and the second cavity.
19 . The artificial disc of claim 18 , wherein the elastic material is encased by a cover that inhibits bone growth.
20 . The artificial disc of claim 19 , wherein the elastic material comprises at least a shaped memory alloy.
21 . The artificial disc of claim 17 , wherein further comprising a first bone growth barrier between the superior endplate and the superior vertebral body and a second bone growth barrier between the inferior endplate and the inferior vertebral body.
22 . An artificial disc comprising:
a superior endplate;
an inferior endplate; and
an elastic material residing between the superior endplate and the inferior endplate, wherein
the superior endplate comprises at least one superior bone fusion cage to facilitate bone growth between a superior vertebral body and the superior endplate, and
the inferior endplate comprises at least one inferior bone fusion cage to facilitate bone growth between the inferior vertebral body and the inferior endplate.
23 . The artificial disc according to claim 22 , further comprising packing at least one of the superior bone fusion cage and the inferior bone fusion cage with bone growth material.
24 . The artificial disc according to claim 22 , further comprising a stabilization device extending between the superior vertebral body and the inferior vertebral body to facilitate bone growth in the at least one superior bone fusion cage and the at least one inferior bone fusion cage.
25 . The artificial disc according to claim 24 , wherein the stabilization device comprises a plate attached to the superior vertebral body and the inferior vertebral body using pedicle screws.
26 . The artificial disc according to claim 24 , wherein the stabilization device is resorbable.