Supplemental spine fixation device and method
View Patent ↗A supplemental spine fixation device and method is used in association with a primary spine fixation device. The supplemental spine fixation device includes a guide and spacer for distracting apart adjacent spinous processes and the device has hook members which hook about the first and second spinous processes. With the spinous processes distracted and the hook members about the spinous processes, the hook members can be rigidly secured to a hub in order to rigidly affix the spinous processes about the spacer. The rigidity between the spinous processes assures that the vertebral bodies will be held rigidly in place in order to promote bone growth and fusion. Further additional freedom of movement between the spacer and hub is accomplished with the spacer being pivotably mounted relative to the hub. The hooks have a tissue distracting lead-in guide for allowing the hooks to be easily urged between spinous processes.
1. A method comprising:
inserting at least a body portion of an interspinous-process spacer into a space between a pair of adjacent spinous processes;
rotating the body portion of the interspinous-process spacer relative to a proximal portion of the interspinous-process spacer after the inserting;
moving the interspinous-process spacer in an anterior direction during said rotating;
wherein the inserting includes inserting the interspinous-process spacer into the space from a lateral direction and from a first side of the pair of adjacent spinous processes until a distal portion of the interspinous-process spacer is disposed on a second side of the pair of adjacent spinous process opposite the first side.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein a cross-sectional size of the body portion of the interspinous-process spacer is non-circular.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein a proximal end of a distal portion of the interspinous-process spacer has a cross-sectional size substantially corresponding to the cross-sectional size of the body portion.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the body portion is at a first distance from an instantaneous axis of rotation of a spinal column after the inserting and before the moving,
the body portion is at a second distance from the instantaneous axis of rotation and different from the first distance after the moving.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein:
at least one distance across a cross-sectional area of the proximal portion in a direction is greater than a distance across the space between the pair of adjacent spinous processes in the direction.
6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
distracting the pair of adjacent spinous processes before the rotating and before the moving.
7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
distracting the pair of adjacent spinous processes during the inserting via a distal portion of the interspinous-process spacer, the body portion of the interspinous-process being between the distal portion and the proximal portion.
8. A method comprising:
inserting at least a body portion of an interspinous-process spacer into a space between a pair of adjacent spinous processes;
rotating the body portion of the interspinous-process spacer relative to a proximal portion of the interspinous-process spacer after the inserting;
moving the interspinous-process spacer in an anterior direction during said rotating;
wherein the proximal portion of the interspinous-process spacer includes a first wing;
coupling a second wing to at least one of the body portion or the proximal portion distal to a proximal end of the body portion, the second wing having a cross-sectional size greater than a cross-sectional size of the body portion.
9. A method, comprising:
inserting at least a body portion of an interspinous-process spacer into a space between a pair of adjacent spinous processes from a lateral direction defining a first axis;
rotating, after the inserting, the body portion of the interspinous-process spacer relative to the pair of adjacent spinous processes and about a second axis substantially parallel to the first axis; and
moving, during the rotating, the body portion of the interspinous-process spacer in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first axis.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein a cross-sectional shape of the body portion of the interspinous-process spacer is non-circular.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein:
the body portion is at a first distance from an instantaneous axis of rotation of a spinal column after the inserting and before the moving,
the body portion is at a second distance from the instantaneous axis of rotation and different from the first distance after the moving.
12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
distracting the pair of adjacent spinous processes before the rotating and before the moving.
13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
distracting the pair of adjacent spinous processes during the inserting via a distal portion of the interspinous-process spacer, the body portion of the interspinous-process being between the distal portion and the proximal portion.
14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the inserting includes inserting the interspinous-process spacer into the space from a first side of the pair of adjacent spinous processes until a distal portion of the interspinous-process spacer is disposed on a second side of the pair of adjacent spinous process opposite the first side.