VERTEBRAL JOINT IMPLANTS AND DELIVERY TOOLS
A spinal joint distraction system for treating a facet joint including articular surfaces having a contour is disclosed and may include a delivery device including a generally tubular structure adapted to engage a facet joint, an implant adapted to be delivered through the delivery device and into the facet joint, the implant comprising two members arranged in opposed position, and an implant distractor comprising a generally elongate member adapted to advance between the two members of the implant causing separation of the members and distraction of the facet joint, wherein the implant is adapted to conform to the shape of the implant distractor and/or the articular surfaces of the facet upon being delivered to the facet joint. Several embodiments of a system, several embodiments of an implant, and several methods are disclosed including a method for interbody fusion.
1 . A spinal implant comprising:
a first member and a second member in opposed relation to each other, each of the first and second members comprising a distal leading portion and a proximal trailing portion opposite the distal leading portion, the first and second members coupled together near their respective distal leading portions via a hinge comprising a first opening defined in the first member and a second opening defined in the second member, the first and second openings being received within each other; and
a third member comprising a distal leading portion and a proximal trailing portion,
wherein, when the third member is received between the first member and second member, at least the proximal trailing portions of the first and second members are caused to displace away from each other about the hinge.
2 . The spinal implant of claim 1 , wherein the first and second openings are, respectively, first and second slots.
3 . The spinal implant of claim 2 , wherein the first and second slots extend transverse to a longitudinal length of each respective first and second member.
4 . The spinal implant of claim 1 , wherein the hinge is a flexible hinge.
5 . The spinal implant of claim 1 , wherein a region of the first member near a distal leading end of the distal leading portion of the first member comprises a bend towards the second member.
6 . The spinal implant of claim 5 , wherein a region of the second member near a distal leading end of the distal leading portion of the second member comprises a bend towards the first member.
7 . The spinal implant of claim 6 , wherein at least a part of the first opening is defined in the bend of the first member, and at least a part of the second opening is defined in the bend of the second member.
8 . The spinal implant of claim 1 , wherein the first and second openings being received within each other form an interlocked hinge arrangement that couples the first and second members together.
9 . The spinal implant of claim 8 , wherein the hinge further comprises a weld.
10 . The spinal implant of claim 9 , wherein the weld extends along a front seam of the interlocked hinge arrangement between generally opposed surfaces of the first and second member, the weld being distal of the interlocked hinge arrangement.
11 . The spinal implant of claim 9 , wherein the weld extends along a first seam of the interlocked arrangement between a region of the first member proximal the interlocked hinge arrangement and a region of the second member distal the interlocked hinge arrangement.
12 . The spinal implant of claim 11 , wherein the weld extends along a second seam of the interlocked arrangement between a region of the second member proximal the interlocked hinge arrangement and a region of the first member distal the interlocked hinge arrangement.
13 . The spinal implant of claim 1 , wherein, when the third member is received between the first member and second member, the third member is threadably received between the first member and second member.
14 . The spinal implant of claim 13 , wherein the third member further comprises: a shaft extending between the distal leading portion and proximal trailing portion of the third member; and a thread extending along at least a portion of the shaft.
15 . The spinal implant of claim 14 , wherein the first member further comprises at least one gap defined in the first member, the at least one gap being configured to be threadably engaged by at least a portion of the thread in the course of the third member being threadably received between the first and second members.
16 . The spinal implant of claim 15 , wherein the at least one gap extends from an inner surface of the first member through a thickness of the first member to an outer surface of the first member.
17 . The spinal implant of claim 18 , wherein, when the third member is threadably received between the first and second members, at least a region of the thread extends through the at least one gap to extend outwardly past the outer surface of the first member.
18 . The spinal implant of claim 15 , wherein the at least one gap and the thread are configured to lock together to inhibit the third member from self-threading proximally once the at least one gap and thread are locked together.
19 . The spinal implant of claim 18 , wherein the at least one gap and the thread both include a complementary truncated configuration.
20 . The spinal implant of claim 15 , wherein the first and second openings are interlocked together in such an orientation relative to a thread direction of the at least one gap so as to provide resistance to shearing of the first and second members relative to one another upon threadably receiving the third member.
21 . The spinal implant of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first member or the second member is configured to at least partially conform to a shape of an element of the third member when the third member is received between the first and second members after the first and second members have been implanted from a posterior direction into a spinal facet joint space.
22 . The spinal implant of claim 21 , wherein in at least partially conforming to the shape of the element of the third member, the at least one of the first member or second member bends about at least one of: a curvature of a shaft of the third member transverse to a longitudinal axis of the shaft; or a longitudinal curvature of the shaft.
23 . The spinal implant of claim 1 , wherein the spinal implant is configured for implantation within a spinal facet joint space.
24 . The spinal implant of claim 1 , wherein the spinal implant is configured for posterior implantation into a spinal facet joint space.