Orthopaedic implants and protheses

1. A method of stabilizing a spine at two adjacent levels in its cervical region, the method comprising:

providing a first cervical implant formed of a first material and comprising an upper surface having a contact area configured for engaging an inferior surface of a first cervical vertebral body, a lower surface having a contact area configured for engaging a superior surface of a second cervical vertebral body, wherein the second cervical vertebral body is at an adjacent level that is inferior to the first cervical body and no other cervical vertebral body exists between the first and second cervical vertebral bodies, an opening formed through the first material to define an interior portion for receiving bone growth material, and an outer perimeter surface extending in between said upper and lower surfaces, said outer perimeter surface including an anterior side and an opposite posterior side, the cervical implant further comprising one upwardly projecting aperture that extends through said anterior side and said upper surface and projects upwardly towards the first cervical vertebral body and two downwardly projecting apertures that extend through said anterior side and said lower surface and projects downwardly towards the second cervical vertebral body for receiving fastening devices, each of said apertures being formed through the first material and having proximal and distal openings and a channel extending therebetween, the proximal openings of said apertures lying within angled planes relative to said outer perimeter surface, each of said apertures further comprising a longitudinal axis converging to a midline of the cervical implant;

inserting the first cervical implant between the first and second cervical vertebral bodies at a first level of the cervical region;

passing fastening devices through the two downwardly projecting apertures of the first cervical implant;

passing a fastening device through the one upwardly projecting aperture of the first cervical implant along its longitudinal axis;

securing the first cervical implant to the first and second cervical vertebral bodies of the first level by further passing the fastening devices into the first and second cervical vertebral bodies to attach the first cervical implant to the first and second cervical vertebral bodies;

providing a second cervical implant formed of a second material and comprising an upper surface having a contact area configured for engaging an inferior surface of the second cervical vertebral body, a lower surface having a contact area configured for engaging superior surface of a third cervical vertebral body, wherein the third cervical vertebral body is at an adjacent level that is inferior to the second cervical vertebral body and no other cervical vertebral body exists between the second and third cervical vertebral bodies, an opening formed through the second material to define an interior portion for receiving bone growth material, and an outer perimeter surface extending in between said upper and lower surfaces, said outer perimeter surface including an anterior side and an opposite posterior side, the cervical implant further comprising one upwardly projecting aperture that extends through said anterior side and said upper surface and two downwardly projecting apertures that extend through said anterior side and said lower surface for receiving fastening devices, each of said apertures being formed through the second material and having proximal and distal openings and a channel extending therebetween, the proximal openings of said apertures lying within angled planes relative to said outer perimeter surface, each of said apertures further comprising a longitudinal axis converging to a midline of the cervical implant;

inserting the second cervical implant between the second and third cervical vertebral bodies at a second level adjacent the first level of the cervical region;

passing fastening devices through the two downwardly projecting apertures of the second cervical implant;

passing a fastening device through the one upwardly projecting aperture of the second cervical implant;

securing the second cervical implant to the second and third cervical vertebral bodies of the second level by further passing the fastening devices into the second and third cervical vertebral bodies to attach the second cervical implant to the second and third cervical vertebral bodies; and

wherein the fastening devices of the first and second cervical implants do not interfere with one another after being secured to the first, second and third cervical vertebral bodies.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the longitudinal axes of the two downwardly projecting apertures of each of the first and second cervical implants are angled between about 5 degrees and about 10 degrees from the midline to converge at a point outside of the posterior side of said outer perimeter surface, and wherein the distal opening of said upwardly projecting aperture and said interior portion intersect.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein, in each of the first and second cervical implants, the longitudinal axes of the two downwardly projecting apertures are angled between about 6 degrees and about 8 degrees from the midline.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein, in each of the first and second cervical implants, the anterior and posterior sides have superior and inferior curved edges that adjoin said outer perimeter surface to the upper and lower surfaces, respectively, and are configured to reduce frictional interference with adjacent body portions.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein, in each of the first and second cervical implants, the upper and lower surfaces of the cervical implant further include ridges for engaging the first, second and third cervical vertebral bodies.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fastening devices comprise screws, pins, staples, or bollards.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein, in each of the first and second cervical implants, at least one of the upper and lower surfaces is a domed surface.

8. The method of claim 1 , further including the step of inserting a bone growth material into the interior portion of the first or second cervical implant.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein, in each of the first and second cervical implants, the upwardly projecting aperture is centrally located on the anterior side.

10. A method of stabilizing a spine at two adjacent levels in its cervical region, the method comprising:

providing a first cervical implant comprising a single piece cage portion, said single piece cage portion comprising an upper surface having a contact area configured for engaging an inferior surface of a first cervical vertebral body, a lower surface having a contact area configured for engaging a superior surface of a second cervical vertebral body, wherein the second cervical vertebral body is at an adjacent level that is inferior to the first cervical vertebral body and no other cervical vertebral body exists between the first and second cervical vertebral bodies, and an outer perimeter surface extending in between said upper and lower surfaces, said outer perimeter surface including an anterior side and an opposite posterior side, the single piece cage portion further comprising one upwardly projecting aperture that extends through said anterior side and said upper surface and projects upwardly towards the first cervical vertebral body and two downwardly projecting apertures that extend through said anterior side and said lower surface and projects downwardly towards the second cervical vertebral body for receiving fastening devices, each of said apertures having proximal and distal openings and a channel extending therebetween, each of said apertures further comprising a longitudinal axis converging to a midline of the cervical implant;

inserting the first cervical implant between the first and second cervical vertebral bodies at a first level of the cervical region;

passing fastening devices through the two downwardly projecting apertures of the first cervical implant;

passing a fastening device through the one upwardly projecting aperture of the first cervical implant;

securing the first cervical implant to the first and second cervical vertebral bodies of the first level by further passing the fastening devices into the first and second cervical vertebral bodies to attach the first cervical implant to the first and second cervical vertebral bodies;

providing a second cervical implant comprising a single piece cage portion, said single piece cage portion comprising an upper surface having a contact area configured for engaging an inferior surface of the second cervical vertebral body, a lower surface having a contact area configured for engaging a superior surface of a third cervical vertebral body, wherein the third cervical vertebral body is at an adjacent level that is inferior to the second cervical vertebral body and no other cervical vertebral body exists between the second and third cervical vertebral bodies, and an outer perimeter surface extending in between said upper and lower surfaces, said outer perimeter surface including an anterior side and an opposite posterior side, the single piece cage portion further comprising one upwardly projecting aperture that extends through said anterior side and said upper surface and two downwardly projecting apertures that extend through said anterior side and said lower surface for receiving fastening devices, each of said apertures having proximal and distal openings and a channel extending therebetween, each of said apertures further comprising a longitudinal axis converging to a midline of the cervical implant;

inserting the second cervical implant between the second and third cervical vertebral bodies at a second level adjacent the first level of the cervical region;

passing fastening devices through the two downwardly projecting apertures of the second cervical implant;

passing a fastening device through the one upwardly projecting aperture of the second cervical implant;

securing the second cervical implant to the second and third cervical vertebral bodies of the second level by further passing the fastening devices into the second and third cervical vertebral bodies to attach the second cervical implant to the second and third cervical vertebral bodies; and

wherein the fastening devices of the first and second cervical implants do not interfere with one another after being secured to the first, second and third cervical vertebral bodies.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the longitudinal axes of the two downwardly projecting apertures of each of the first and second cervical implants are angled between about 5 degrees and about 10 degrees from the midline to converge at a point outside of the posterior side of said outer perimeter surface, and wherein the proximal openings of said apertures lie within angled planes relative to said outer perimeter surface.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the longitudinal axes of the two downwardly projecting apertures of each of the first and second cervical implants are angled between about 6 degrees and about 8 degrees from the midline.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein, in each of the first and second cervical implants, the anterior and posterior sides have superior and inferior curved edges that adjoin said outer perimeter surface to the upper and lower surfaces, respectively, and are configured to reduce frictional interference with adjacent body portions.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein, in each of the first and second cervical implants, the upper and lower surfaces of the single piece cage portion further include ridges for engaging the first, second and third cervical vertebral bodies.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the fastening devices comprise screws, pins, staples, or bollards.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein, in each of the first and second cervical implants, at least one of the upper and lower surfaces is a domed surface.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the single piece cage portion of each of the first and second cervical implants further includes an interior portion for receiving a bone growth material, and the method includes the step of inserting the bone growth material into the interior portion.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein, in each of the first and second cervical implants, the upwardly projecting aperture is centrally located on the anterior side.

19. A method of stabilizing a spine at two adjacent levels in its cervical region, the method comprising:

inserting a first cervical implant between first and second cervical vertebral bodies at a first level of the cervical region such that an upper surface of the first cervical implant contacts the first cervical vertebral body and a lower surface of the first cervical implant contacts the second cervical vertebral body, wherein the first cervical implant comprises an outer perimeter surface extending in between said upper and lower surfaces, said outer perimeter surface including an anterior side and an opposite posterior side;

passing a fastening device through an one upwardly projecting aperture of the first cervical implant along its longitudinal axis, wherein the one upwardly projecting aperture extends through said anterior side; and said upper surface and projects upwardly towards the first cervical vertebral body and

passing fastening devices through two downwardly projecting apertures of the first cervical implant, wherein two downwardly projecting apertures extend through said anterior side and said lower surface and project downwardly towards the second cervical vertebral body;

securing the first cervical implant to the first and second cervical vertebral bodies of the first level by further passing the fastening devices into the first and second cervical vertebral bodies to attach the first cervical implant to the first and second cervical vertebral bodies;

inserting a second cervical implant between the second cervical vertebral body and a third cervical vertebral body at a second level of the cervical region adjacent the first level such that an upper surface of the second cervical implant contacts the second cervical vertebral body and a lower surface of the second cervical implant contacts the third cervical vertebral body, wherein the second cervical implant comprises an outer perimeter surface extending in between said upper and lower surfaces, said outer perimeter surface including an anterior side and an opposite posterior side;

passing a fastening device through the one upwardly projecting aperture of the second cervical implant along its longitudinal axis, wherein the one upwardly projecting aperture extends through said anterior side and said upper surface and projects upwardly towards the second cervical vertebral body;

passing fastening devices through two downwardly projecting apertures of the second cervical implant, wherein two downwardly projecting apertures extend through said anterior side and said lower surface and project downwardly towards the third cervical vertebral body; and

securing the second cervical implant to the second and third cervical vertebral bodies of the second level by further passing the fastening devices into the cervical vertebral bodies to attach the second cervical implant to the second and third cervical vertebral bodies such that the fastening devices of the first and second cervical implants do not interfere with one another after being secured to the first, second and third cervical vertebral bodies.