IMPLANT SYSTEM HAVING A MULTIFUNCTIONAL INSERTER AND COMPLEMENTARY IMPLANT
An implant system having an inserter or implant-drill guide defining a plurality of overlapping bores or elongated passageways. The inserter or implant-drill bit guide provides a drill jig for defining a complementary-shaped drilled-out area in the first and second vertebra. The implant comprises a plurality or lobes or lobate shapes that are adapted in size to be snugly fit into the implant receiving area.
1 . An implant comprising:
an implant housing having an outer housing wall;
said outer housing wall comprising a plurality of implant lobes.
2 . The implant as recited in claim 1 wherein said plurality of implant lobes are at least partly cylindrical and extend generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of said implant housing.
3 . The implant as recited in claim 2 wherein said implant comprises a joining portion for joining said plurality of implant lobes where said plurality of implant lobes intersect.
4 . The implant as recited in claim 3 wherein said joining portion defines a channel.
5 . The implant as recited in claim 2 wherein said outer housing wall generally defines an open-eight shape in cross section.
6 . The implant as recited in claim 1 wherein said plurality of implant lobes are generally the same size in cross section.
7 . The implant as recited in claim 1 wherein said plurality of implant lobes are different sizes in cross section.
8 . The implant as recited in claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of implant lobes defines a partial circumference of less than 360 degrees.
9 . The implant as recited in claim 8 wherein said plurality of implant lobes are generally the same size in cross section.
10 . The implant as recited in claim 8 wherein said plurality of implant lobes are different sizes in cross section.
11 . The implant as recited in claim 1 wherein said implant housing comprises an elongated channel generally arranged at an intersection between each adjacent pair of said plurality of lobes.
12 . The implant as recited in claim 1 wherein said implant is a tri-lobate.
13 . The implant as recited in claim 11 wherein said plurality of implant lobes comprise a first implant lobe defined by a first implant lobe wall, a second implant lobe defined by a second implant lobe wall, a third implant lobe defined by a third implant lobe wall and a fourth implant lobe defined by a fourth implant lobe wall;
said first and second implant lobe walls generally intersecting at a first intersection and said third and fourth implant lobe walls generally intersecting at a second intersection.
14 . The implant as recited in claim 13 wherein said implant housing further comprises a first elongated channel associated with said first intersection and a second elongated channel associated with said second intersection.
15 . The implant as recited in claim 13 wherein said first and second implant lobe walls are situated generally opposite and parallel to said third and fourth implant lobe walls.
16 . The implant as recited in claim 1 wherein said plurality of implant lobes comprise a first implant lobe and a second implant lobe adapted and sized to be received in an implant guide having a plurality of complementary-shaped guide passageways or bores.
17 . The implant as recited in claim 1 wherein said implant housing comprises at least one bone-graft area for receiving bone graft material.
18 . The implant as recited in claim 5 wherein said implant comprises four or more lobes.
19 . An implant-drill guide comprising:
a housing having a plurality of passage wall portions defining a plurality of passages or bores extending through said housing;
said plurality of passage wall portions intersecting and cooperating to define at least one implant guide passageway through said housing, said plurality of passages or bores being in communication and each being adapted to receive and guide at least one drill bit for drilling into bone in order to define or provide an implant receiving area for receiving an implant;
said at least one implant guide passageway being adapted to receive and guide said implant into said implant receiving area, said implant having a cross-sectional shape that generally complements a cross-sectional shape of said plurality of passages or bores.
20 . The implant-drill guide as recited in claim 19 wherein said plurality of passage wall portions cooperate to define said implant passageway as an open-eight shape in cross section.
21 . The implant-drill guide as recited in claim 19 wherein said plurality of passages or bores are generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of said housing.
22 . The implant-drill guide as recited in claim 19 wherein said housing comprises at least one window that is in communication with said implant guide passageway.
23 . The implant-drill guide as recited in claim 19 wherein each of said plurality of passage wall portions is, at least in part, generally cylindrical until said plurality of passages or bores intersect.
24 . The implant-drill guide as recited in claim 19 wherein said plurality of passage wall portions are generally the same size in cross section.
25 . The implant-drill guide as recited in claim 19 wherein each of said plurality of passage wall portions define or prescribe at least a partial circumference.
26 . The implant-drill guide as recited in claim 25 wherein said at least a partial circumference of said plurality of passage wall portions are generally the same size.
27 . The implant-drill guide as recited in claim 25 wherein said at least a partial circumference of said plurality of passage wall portions are generally different sizes.
28 . The implant-drill guide as recited in claim 19 wherein said housing comprises at least one male guide projection, protuberance or prolongation.
29 . The implant-drill guide as recited in claim 28 wherein said housing comprises a plurality of male guide projections, protuberances or prolongations, each having a height dimensional and being generally smaller than a cross-sectional height of said housing, with said plurality of male guide projections being adapted to be received in said implant receiving area between adjacent vertebrae.
30 . The implant-drill guide as recited in claim 29 wherein said plurality of passages or bores are dimensioned and adapted to define a drill jig for guiding at least one drill bit through each of said plurality of passages or bores to drill a predetermined shape into at least one or both of said adjacent vertebrae.
31 . The implant-drill guide as recited in claim 30 wherein said predetermined shape comprises a plurality of arcuate or curved bore sections, said implant comprising at least one implant lobe having a shape that generally complements a shape of said arcuate or curved bore sections.
32 . The implant-drill guide as recited in claim 19 wherein said plurality of passages or bores comprise:
a first elongated passageway;
a second elongated passageway;
said first and second elongated passageways being in communication, intersecting and being at least partly cylindrical.
33 . The implant-drill guide as recited in claim 32 wherein said first and second elongated passageways are the same size in cross section.
34 . The implant-drill guide as recited in claim 32 wherein said first and second elongated passageways are different sizes in cross section.
35 . The implant-drill guide as recited in claim 19 wherein said plurality of passage wall portions intersect and cooperate to define a predetermined passageway wall shape, said implant having an implant shape that generally complements said predetermined wall shape.
36 . The implant-drill guide as recited in claim 35 wherein said predetermined passageway wall shape generally defines an open-eight shape.
37 . The implant-drill guide as recited in claim 30 wherein said plurality of passage wall portions cooperate to define a predetermined passageway wall shape defining a plurality of arcuate or curved seats;
said implant having an implant shape that generally complements said predetermined passageway wall shape, said implant shape defining a plurality of lobes that become seated in said plurality of arcuate or curved seats.
38 . The implant-drill guide as recited in claim 19 wherein a predetermined passageway wall shape generally defines an open-eight shape.
39 . The implant-drill guide as recited in claim 19 wherein said housing comprises at least one window for viewing the implant and drill bit when they pass through at least one of said plurality of passages or bores.
40 . The implant-drill guide as recited in claim 19 wherein said plurality of passages or bores define a bi-lobate or tri-lobate shape
41 . An implant system comprising:
an implant-drill guide comprising an implant-drill housing having a plurality of passage wall portions defining a plurality of passages or bores extending through said implant-drill housing, said plurality of passages wall portions intersecting and cooperating to define at least one implant guide passageway through said implant-drill housing, said plurality of passages or bores being in communication and at least one of said plurality of passages being adapted to receive and guide at least one drill bit for drilling into bone in order to facilitate defining or providing an implant receiving area for receiving an implant, said implant receiving area having at least one drill lobe area created by said at least one drill bit;
said implant having an implant housing having an outer housing wall, said outer housing wall comprising at least one implant lobe that generally complements a shape of and mates with said at least one drill lobe area;
said at least one implant guide passageway being adapted to receive and guide said implant into said implant receiving area.
42 . The implant system as recited in claim 41 wherein said plurality of passage wall portions cooperate to define said implant passageway as an open-eight shape in cross section.
43 . The implant system as recited in claim 41 wherein said plurality of passages or bores are generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of said housing.
44 . The implant system as recited in claim 41 wherein each of said plurality of passages or bores are adapted to receive and guide a drill bit having a dimension slightly smaller than a dimension of said plurality of passages or bores.
45 . The implant system as recited in claim 41 wherein said implant-drill housing comprises at least one window that is in communication with said implant guide passageway.
46 . The implant system as recited in claim 41 wherein each of said plurality of passage wall portions are, at least in part, generally cylindrical until said plurality of passages or bores intersect.
47 . The implant system as recited in claim 41 wherein said plurality of passage wall portions each define at least a partial circumference that are generally the same size.
48 . The implant system as recited in claim 47 wherein each of said plurality of passage wall portions define at least a partial circumference that are different sizes.
49 . The implant system as recited in claim 47 wherein said plurality of passage wall portions each define at least a partial circumference that are not the same size.
50 . The implant system as recited in claim 49 wherein at least a partial circumference of said plurality of passage wall portions are generally the same size.
51 . The implant system as recited in claim 41 wherein said implant-drill housing comprises at least one male guide projection, protuberance or projection for aligning said implant-drill guide with a disc area between adjacent bones so that said at least one drill bit can drill at least one of said adjacent bone as said at least one drill bit is guided through said implant-drill housing.
52 . The implant system as recited in claim 51 wherein said implant-drill housing comprises a plurality of male guide projections, protuberances or projections, each having a height that is generally smaller than a cross-sectional height of said implant drill housing, with said plurality of male guide projections being adapted to be received in said implant receiving area between adjacent vertebrae so that said plurality of passages or bores may guide both said drill bit and said implant into said implant.
53 . The implant system as recited in claim 52 wherein said implant further comprises at least one drill bit, said plurality of passages or bores are dimensioned and adapted to define a drill jig for guiding said at least one drill bit through each of said plurality of passages or bores to drill a predetermined shape into at least one or both of said adjacent vertebrae.
54 . The implant system as recited in claim 53 wherein said implant comprises a plurality of longitudinal lobes, said predetermined shape comprises a plurality of said drill lobe areas that define arcuate or curved bore sections, said implant comprising a plurality of implant lobes having a shape that generally complements a shape of said arcuate or curved bore sections.
55 . The implant system as recited in claim 41 wherein said plurality of passages or bores comprise:
a first elongated passageway;
a second elongated passageway;
said first and second elongated passageways being in communication, intersecting and being at least partly cylindrical.
56 . The implant system as recited in claim 55 wherein said first and second elongated passageways are adapted to define a drill jig for drilling a predetermined shape into at least one bone.
57 . The implant system as recited in claim 56 wherein said implant comprises a plurality of implant lobes, said predetermined shape being adapted and dimensioned to capture said plurality of implant lobes such that a tension or compression is applied against said implant to facilitate keeping said implant in said implant receiving area after implantation.
58 . The implant system as recited in claim 55 wherein said first and second elongated passageways are different sizes in cross section.
59 . The implant system as recited in claim 55 wherein said first and second elongated passageways are generally the same size in cross section.
60 . The implant system as recited in claim 41 wherein said plurality of passage wall portions cooperate to define a multi-lobe passageway shape defining a plurality of arcuate or curved seats in bone;
said implant having a plurality of lobes that generally complements said multi-lobe passageway shape and that become oriented or seated in said plurality of arcuate or curved seats in said implant-drill housing.
61 . The implant system as recited in claim 60 wherein said multi-lobe passageway shape generally defines an open-eight shape.
62 . The implant system as recited in claim 60 wherein each of said multi-lobe passageway shapes and said plurality of lobes are generally curved or arcuate.
63 . The implant system as recited in claim 41 wherein said implant-drill housing comprises at least one window for viewing said implant and said at least one drill bit when they pass through at least one of said plurality of passages or bores.
64 . The implant system as recited in claim 57 wherein said plurality of implant lobes are at least partly cylindrical and extend generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of said implant housing.
65 . The implant system as recited in claim 64 wherein said outer housing generally defines an open-eight shape in cross section.
66 . The implant system as recited in claim 41 wherein said at least one implant lobe is generally the same size in cross section.
67 . The implant system as recited in claim 57 wherein said plurality of implant lobes are different sizes in cross section.
68 . The implant system as recited in claim 41 wherein each of said plurality of passage wall portions defines a partial circumference of less than 360 degrees in cross section.
69 . The implant system as recited in claim 57 wherein said plurality of implant lobes are generally the same size in cross section.
70 . The implant system as recited in claim 57 wherein said implant housing comprises an elongated channel generally arranged at an intersection between each adjacent pair of said plurality of implant lobes.
71 . The implant system as recited in claim 57 wherein said plurality of implant lobes comprise a first implant lobe defined by a first implant lobe wall, a second implant lobe defined by a second implant lobe wall, a third implant lobe defined by a third implant lobe wall and a fourth implant lobe defined by a fourth implant lobe wall;
said first and second implant lobe walls are situated generally opposite said third and fourth implant lobe walls.
72 . The implant system as recited in claim 41 wherein said implant comprises a plurality of implant lobes comprising a first implant lobe and a second implant lobe adapted and sized to be received in said plurality of passages or bores.
73 . The implant system as recited in claim 41 wherein said implant housing comprises at least one bone-graft area for receiving bone graft material.
74 . The implant system as recited in claim 41 wherein said implant system is for lateral insertion of said implant.
75 . The implant as recited in claim 1 wherein said plurality of implant lobes have axes that lie in the same plane.
76 . The implant as recited in claim 1 wherein said plurality of implant lobes have axes that lie in different planes.
77 . The implant as recited in claim 1 wherein said plurality of implant lobes are different sizes.