IP Library Granted Patent US 8,672,944
Granted Patent B2
US 8,672,944 · App. 13/000,639 · Granted Mar 18, 2014

System and method for performing spinal surgery

Inventors: Oheneba Boachie-Adjei (Briarcliff, NY); Andrew Thomas Rock (Spring Grove, PA); Raymund Woo (Orlando, FL); Michael Barrus (Ashburn, VA); Scott Jones (Mcmurray, PA)
Assignee: K2M, Inc.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,672,944
App. No.
13/000,639
Granted
Mar 18, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods for surgical spinal correction are disclosed. A system including a plurality of bone screws, spinal rods, manipulators, and/or transverse couplers is disclosed for the manipulation of the spinal column is disclosed. A method of achieving, in a single action, manipulation and/or rotation of the spinal column using the disclosed system is disclosed. Also disclosed is a method of conducting spinal surgery to correct spinal deformities wherein spinal rods are pre-bent in a physiological sagittal plane prior to attachment of the vertebrae using bone screws.

Claims (34)

1. A method for correcting a deformity of a spinal column comprising:

implanting a plurality of bone screws into a plurality of vertebrae of a spinal column;

mounting rod reduction jacks to at least some of the plurality of bone screws;

inserting a spinal rod between the rod reduction jacks and the bone screws;

partially actuating the rod reduction jacks to gradually reduce the spinal rod to each bone screw while effecting realignment of the vertebrae relative to one another;

removing the rod reduction jacks from a first side of the spinal column;

repeating the above steps on a second side of the spinal column; and

with the spinal rods partially locked in the bone screws, facilitating sagittal alignment of the spinal rods, wherein one portion of each of the rods is anchored to vertebrae, including a lowest instrumented vertebra, using polyaxial screws and the remaining portion of each of the rods is anchored to the vertebrae using uniplanar taper lock bone screws with the lowest instrumented vertebra anchored to the rods using monoaxial bone screws.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rod reduction jacks are applied to the bone screws bilaterally to both sides of the spinal column.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein counter-torsion of a lowest instrumented vertebra is accomplished.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein partial actuation of the rod reduction jacks to each bone screw is achieved by mounting a partial screw locking instrument over a single rod reduction jack of the rod reduction jacks and a corresponding bone screw of the bone screws and partially locking the corresponding bone screw with the single rod reduction jack in place.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

manually manipulating the spinal column to effect realignment of the vertebrae relative to each other; and

fully reducing the spinal rod to each bone screw subsequent to the manual manipulation of the spinal column.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein alignment tubes are mounted over one or more of the rod reduction jacks.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rods are pre-bent in a physiological sagittal plane prior to attachment.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein taper lock screws are used in one portion of the spinal construct and set screw or nut style screws are used in another portion of the spinal construct.

9. A method for correcting a deformity of a spinal column comprising:

implanting a plurality of bone screws into a plurality of vertebrae of a spinal column;

mounting rod reduction jacks to at least some of the plurality of bone screws;

inserting a spinal rod between the rod reduction jacks and the bone screws;

partially actuating the rod reduction jacks to gradually reduce the spinal rod to each bone screw while effecting realignment of the vertebrae relative to one another;

removing the rod reduction jacks from a first side of the spinal column;

repeating the above steps on a second side of the spinal column; and

with the spinal rods partially locked in the bone screws, facilitating sagittal alignment of the spinal rods, wherein taper lock screws are used in one portion of the spinal construct and set screw or nut style screws are used in another portion of the spinal construct.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the rod reduction jacks are applied to the bone screws bilaterally to both sides of the spinal column.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein counter-torsion of a lowest instrumented vertebra is accomplished.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein partial actuation of the rod reduction jacks to each bone screw is achieved by mounting a partial screw locking instrument over a single rod reduction jack of the rod reduction jacks and a corresponding bone screw of the bone screws and partially locking the corresponding bone screw with the single rod reduction jack in place.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

manually manipulating the spinal column to effect realignment of the vertebrae relative to each other; and

fully reducing the spinal rod to each bone screw subsequent to the manual manipulation of the spinal column.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein alignment tubes are mounted over one or more of the rod reduction jacks.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the rods are pre-bent in a physiological sagittal plane prior to attachment.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein uniplanar taper lock screws are used in one portion of the spinal construct and polyaxial screws are used in another portion of the spinal construct.

Assignments (5)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 8, 2025
From: K2M, INC.; VB SPINE US OPCO LLC
To: TEXAS CAPITAL BANK, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 072340/0397 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 16, 2025
From: K2M, INC.; VB SPINE US OPCO LLC; VB SPINE LLC
To: ANKURA TRUST COMPANY, LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 071682/0116 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 9, 2018
From: SILICON VALLEY BANK
To: K2M, INC.; K2M HOLDINGS, INC.; K2M UK LIMITED
Reel/Frame 047496/0001 →
FIRST AMENDMENT TO PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 22, 2014
From: K2M, INC.; K2M UNLIMITED; K2M HOLDINGS, INC.
To: SILICON VALLEY BANK
Reel/Frame 034034/0097 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 16, 2011
From: BOACHIE-ADJEI, OHENEBA; ROCK, ANDREW THOMAS; WOO, RAYMUND; BARRUS, MICHAEL; JONES, SCOTT
To: K2M, INC.
Reel/Frame 025814/0629 →
Continuity (3)
Provisional Application 61133357 · Jun 27, 2008
Provisional Application 61104411 · Oct 10, 2008
Related Publication 20110172714A1 · Jul 14, 2011