Patent Application

App. No. 11/371,772

Abstract

Claims (39)

1 . A longitudinal support comprising:

a first longitudinal support element with a longitudinal axis, comprising:

first and second connecting segments provided with a first end and a second end;

deformable articulated socket on the second connecting segment of the first longitudinal support element, the deformable articulated socket is axially open and can be deformed transversely to the longitudinal axis,

wherein the articulated socket comprises a hollow spherical segment-like cavity, being larger than a semi-sphere, with a diameter of D with an opening on the second end that is concentric with the longitudinal axis and has a diameter of d, where d<D, and

wherein the first connecting segment of the first longitudinal support element has a thread extending parallel to the longitudinal axis, and;

a second longitudinal support element with a longitudinal axis, having first and second connecting segments each provided with a first end and a second end,

wherein the first connecting segment of the second longitudinal support element is connectable with the first connecting segment of the longitudinal support element, and

wherein the second connecting segment includes an articulated head that is complementary shaped to the articulated socket.

2 . A longitudinal support according to claim 1 , wherein the articulated socket is made from Nitinol.

3 . A longitudinal support according to claim 1 , wherein the articulated socket has an external spherical convex construction.

4 . A longitudinal support according to claim 1 , wherein the first connecting element of the first longitudinal support element comprises an outside thread that is coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the first longitudinal support element.

5 . A longitudinal support according to claim 1 , wherein a length of the connected first connecting segment of the first longitudinal support element with the first connecting segment of the second longitudinal support element is able to be axially lengthened or shortened.

6 . A longitudinal support according to claim 1 , wherein the first connecting segment of the first longitudinal support element and the first connecting element of the second longitudinal support element are able to telescope with respect to one another.

7 . A longitudinal support according to claim 1 , wherein the connection between the first connecting segment of the first longitudinal support element and the first connecting element of the second longitudinal support element is a screw connection.

8 . A longitudinal support according to claim 1 , wherein the articulated head has a spherical convex construction that is complementary shaped with the cavity.

9 . A longitudinal support according to claim 1 , wherein the articulated head and the articulated socket can be elastically snapped together.

10 . A longitudinal support according to claim 7 , wherein:

the first connecting segment of the first longitudinal support element is constructed as a shaft having an external thread; and

the first connecting segment of the second longitudinal support element is constructed as a sleeve having a central bore with an internal thread that complements the external thread of the first connecting segment of the first longitudinal support element.

11 . A longitudinal support according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one end-piece with an articulated head.

12 . A longitudinal support according to claim 1 , further comprising at least a second end-piece with an articulated socket.

13 . A device to stabilize bodies of the vertebra comprising:

a longitudinal support according to claim 1;

at least two bone anchors, each bone anchor having a central axis, an anchoring segment to fix the bone anchor to a vertebra, and a head segment configured to accommodate the articulated socket; and

fixing means to fix the articulated sockets to the anchoring means.

14 . A device according to claim 13 , wherein the head segment comprises a concave spherical recess that complements the articulated socket.

15 . A device according to claim 13 , wherein the fixing means comprise a screw, the screw configured to engage an inside thread in the head segment of the bone anchor.

16 . A device according to claim 14 , wherein the fixing means comprise an elastically expandable clamp having at least on free end, the clamp is capable of being placed over the articulated socket and snapped onto the head segment of the bone anchor so that the articulated socket is compressed by the clamp.

17 . A device according to claim 16 , wherein the clamp has a lug on at least one of the free ends that can be snapped onto the head segment of the bone anchor.

18 . A device according to claim 17 , wherein the head segment comprises notches matching the lugs.

19 . A method of inserting a longitudinal support into a patient comprising the steps of:

attaching a bone anchor onto pedicles of two adjacent vertebra, the bone anchor comprising head segments and anchoring segments;

assembling the longitudinal support by alternatingly joining at least one first longitudinal support element to at least one second longitudinal support element to form at least one articulated joint until the longitudinal support has a desired length, wherein each first longitudinal support element has an articulated socket and each second longitudinal support element has an articulated head such that each first longitudinal support element is joined to each second longitudinal support element by inserting each articulated head into each articulated socket;

introducing the assembled longitudinal support into the body of the patient through a minimally invasive incision, placing the assembled longitudinal support below the soft tissue surrounding the vertebra bodies to be securely fixed;

positioning the articulated joint so that the assembled longitudinal support has a desired shape;

positioning each articulated joint onto the head segment of the bone anchor;

adjusting the length of the each longitudinal support, as desired; and

securing each articulated joint to the bone anchor.

Assignments (10)