Expandable vertebral body replacement device, system, and methods

1. A vertebral body replacement device comprising:

an outer housing defining an interior cavity and having an interior surface;

an inner housing having an exterior surface and nesting within at least a portion of the interior cavity of the outer housing, the inner housing moveable along a longitudinal direction to increase a height of the vertebral body replacement device, wherein the exterior surface of the inner housing is engageable with the interior surface of the outer housing and wherein the exterior surface of the inner housing moves from a normal, unbiased position where it is engaged with the interior surface of the outer housing, substantially preventing the outer housing from moving longitudinally with respect to the inner housing, to a biased position, where the exterior surface of the inner housing is substantially disengaged from the interior surface of the outer housing, permitting longitudinal movement of the outer housing with respect to the inner housing;

a retention member positionable within the interior cavity and removably engageable with a portion of the inner housing, wherein the retention member, when positioned in engagement with the inner housing prevents the exterior surface of the inner housing from biasing inwardly and, thus, prevents longitudinal movement of the outer housing with respect to the inner housing and contraction of the vertebral body replacement device;

an upper bone contact member having an upper bone contact surface; and

a lower bone contact member having a lower bone contact surface.

2. The vertebral body replacement device of claim 1 , wherein the inner housing and outer housing define a graft cavity for the placement of bone graft material.

3. The vertebral body replacement device of claim 1 , wherein the upper bone contact member is pivotally connected to a portion of a top portion of the outer housing enabling the upper bone contact member to angulate in either an anterior or posterior direction.

4. The vertebral body replacement device of claim 1 , wherein the lower bone contact member is pivotally connected to a portion of a lower portion of the inner housing enabling the lower bone contact member to angulate in either an anterior or posterior direction.

5. The vertebral body replacement device of claim 4 , wherein at least one of the upper and lower bone contact members comprise means for locking the respective upper or lower bone contact member into a desired angular position.

6. The vertebral body replacement device of claim 5 , wherein the means for locking the respective upper or lower bone contact member into a desired angular position comprises a wedge member configured to be removably positioned between the respective bone contact member and the housing to which the respective bone contact member is connected.

7. The vertebral body replacement device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the upper and lower contact surfaces define a plurality of surface protrusions configured to engage adjacent bony structure.

8. The vertebral body replacement device of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of surface protrusions are spikes that can move from a undeployed state, where substantially all of the spike is beneath the respective contact surface, to a deployed state, where at least a portion of the spike extends above the respective contact surface.

9. The vertebral body replacement device of claim 8 , further comprising means for deploying the spikes.

10. A method for replacing a vertebral body comprising the steps of:

accessing a desired motion segment;

removing a desired vertebral body;

positioning an expandable VBR device in place of the removed vertebral body;

expanding the expandable VBR device; and

fixing the expandable VBR device in the expanded position; and

wherein the VBR device comprises:

an outer housing defining an interior cavity and having an interior toothed surface;

an inner housing having an exterior surface and nesting within at least a portion of the interior cavity of the outer housing, the inner housing moveable along a longitudinal direction to increase a height of the VBR device, wherein the exterior surface of the inner housing is engageable with the interior surface of the outer housing and wherein the exterior surface of the inner housing moves from a normal, unbiased position where it is engaged with the interior surface of the outer housing, substantially preventing the outer housing from moving longitudinally with respect to the inner housing, to a biased position, where the exterior surface of the inner housing is substantially disengaged from the interior surface of the outer housing, permitting longitudinal movement of the outer housing with respect to the inner housing;

a retention member removably engageable with a portion of the inner housing, wherein the retention member, when positioned in engagement with the inner housing, prevents the exterior surface of the inner housing from biasing inwardly and, thus, prevents longitudinal movement of the outer housing with respect to the inner housing and contraction of the VBR device;

an upper bone contact member having an upper bone contact surface; and

a lower bone contact member having a lower bone contact surface.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the inner housing and outer housing define a graft cavity for the placement of bone graft material and the method further comprises the step of packing the graft cavity with bone growth promoting materials.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the upper bone contact member is pivotally connected to a portion of a top portion of the outer housing enabling the upper bone contact member to angulate in either an anterior or posterior direction, and the lower bone contact member is pivotally connected to a portion of a lower portion of the inner housing enabling the lower bone contact member to angulate in either an anterior or posterior direction, the method further comprising the step of fixing a lordotic angle of at least one of the upper and lower bone contact members.

13. A system for replacing a vertebral body comprising:

an expandable VBR device comprising:

an outer housing defining an interior cavity and having an interior surface;

an inner housing having an exterior surface and nesting within at least a portion of the interior cavity of the outer housing, the inner housing moveable along a longitudinal direction to increase a height of the expandable VBR device, wherein the exterior surface of the inner housing is engageable with the interior surface of the outer housing and wherein the exterior surface of the inner housing moves from a normal, unbiased position where it is engaged with the interior surface of the outer housing, substantially preventing the outer housing from moving longitudinally with respect to the inner housing, to a biased position, where the exterior surface of the inner housing is substantially disengaged from the interior surface of the outer housing, permitting longitudinal movement of the outer housing with respect to the inner housing;

a retention member removably engageable with a portion of the inner housing, wherein the retention member, when positioned in engagement with the inner housing, prevents the exterior surface of the inner housing from biasing inwardly and, thus, prevents longitudinal movement of the outer housing with respect to the inner housing and contraction of the expandable VBR device;

an upper bone contact member having an upper bone contact surface: and

a lower bone contact member having a lower bone contact surface; and

a VBR expansion tool.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the inner housing and outer housing define a graft cavity for the placement of bone graft material.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the upper bone contact member is pivotally connected to a portion of a top portion of the outer housing enabling the upper bone contact member to angulate in either an anterior or posterior direction and the lower bone contact member is pivotally connected to a portion of a lower portion of the inner housing enabling the lower bone contact member to angulate in either an anterior or posterior direction.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the VBR expansion tool comprises:

an actuation member having a first handled and an opposed second handle, wherein the first and second handles are hingedly coupled at a hinge point, the hinge point being positioned between a proximal end and a distal end of each of the first and second handles; and

a leveling member coupled to the actuation member, the leveling member having an upper leveling member and a lower leveling member, the upper and lower leveling members separated by and connected by a scissor member, wherein the scissor member comprises a first scissor arm and a second scissor arm pinned substantially in their middle section and wherein the proximal end of the first scissor arm is pinned to a proximal end of the upper leveling member and the distal end of the first scissor arm comprises a pin configured to engage, in sliding relation, an elongate slot defined in the lower leveling member, and wherein the proximal end of the second scissor arm is pinned to a proximal end of the lower leveling member and the distal end of the second scissor arm comprises a pin configured to engage, in sliding relation, and elongate slot defined in the upper leveling member such that, as the proximal end of the upper leveling member is separated from the proximal end of the lower leveling member, the distal end of the upper leveling member is also raised and equally separated from the distal end of the lower leveling member.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the distal end of the first handle is hingedly connected to the proximal end of the upper leveling member and the distal end of the second handle can be hingedly connected to the proximal end of the lower leveling member.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the distal end of the upper and lower leveling members each comprise forks to engage portions of the expandable VBR device, whereby, in use, compression of the handles of the actuation member from a first, separated position to the second, compressed position, moves the leveling members from a position substantially adjacent one another to a separated position.