Granted Patent B2

US 12,472,079 · App. 18/438,135 · Granted Nov 18, 2025

Inventors: Bryan D. Milz (Florida, NY); Brian Haight (Sussex, NJ); Justyna Zielinska (Linden, NJ); Shawn Graham (Morristown, NJ); Christian Karl Schultz (Hoboken, NJ)

Assignee: K2M, Inc.

A61F2/4611A61B17/1757A61F2/442A61F2/447

Abstract

Claims (69)

1 . A graft clip, comprising:

an upper grip arm including:

an upper grip arm proximal end,

an upper grip arm distal end,

an upper grip inner surface;

an upper proximal portion,

an upper distal portion, and

an angled portion, disposed between the upper proximal portion and the upper distal portion; and

a lower grip arm including:

a lower grip arm proximal end,

a lower grip arm distal end,

a lower grip inner surface;

a lower proximal portion, and

a lower distal portion,

the upper proximal portion is further from the upper grip arm distal end than the angled portion is from the upper grip arm distal end;

the upper distal portion is further from the upper grip arm proximal end than the angled portion is from the upper grip arm proximal end;

the upper proximal portion is a first average distance from the lower proximal portion;

the upper distal portion is a second average distance from the lower distal portion; and

the second average distance is greater than the first average distance;

a connective element, joined to an upper grip arm side and a lower grip arm side; and

an internal space between the upper grip arm and the lower grip arm, configured to accommodate disposal of an outer shaft.

2 . The graft clip of claim 1 , wherein:

the upper grip inner surface is disposed at the upper grip arm proximal end;

the lower grip inner surface is disposed at the lower grip arm proximal end;

the upper grip inner surface and the lower grip inner surface are rounded, sized, and

configured for snap-in engagement of the outer shaft and for securing the outer shaft to the graft clip;

the connective element is located between and connects the upper grip arm distal end and the lower grip arm distal end;

the connective element connects to the upper grip inner surface;

the connective element connects to the lower grip inner surface; and

the upper grip arm, the lower grip arm, and the connective element partially enclose the internal space.

3 . The graft clip of claim 1 , wherein:

the upper distal portion of the upper grip arm includes an upper taper;

the lower distal portion of the lower grip arm includes a lower taper;

the upper taper and the lower taper both taper towards one another at each distal end.

4 . The graft clip of claim 3 , wherein the upper taper and the lower taper are configured to provide a lead-in for an implant to a disc space.

5 . The graft clip of claim 1 , wherein:

the upper distal portion includes an upper paddle;

the lower distal portion includes a lower paddle;

the upper distal portion includes an average upper distal portion width;

the lower distal portion includes an average lower distal portion width;

an upper paddle width is greater than the average upper distal portion width;

a lower paddle width is greater than the average lower distal portion width.

6 . The graft clip of claim 5 , wherein:

the upper paddle includes an upper stop feature;

the lower paddle includes a lower stop feature;

the upper stop feature protrudes from the upper paddle with a first increasingly deviating distance toward the distal end of the upper grip arm;

the lower stop feature protrudes from the lower paddle with a second increasingly deviating distance toward the distal end of the lower grip arm.

7 . The graft clip of claim 1 , wherein the internal space is configured to accommodate an insertion tool comprising the outer shaft.

8 . The graft clip of claim 7 , wherein the accommodated insertion tool further comprises:

a handle;

an inner shaft; and

a lever arm;

wherein:

the outer shaft is axially aligned with the handle;

the outer shaft is cannulated and configured to dispose the inner shaft in an enclosed passage; and

rotation of the lever arm is configured to move the inner shaft axially.

9 . The graft clip of claim 7 , wherein:

the graft clip is configured to:

attach to both an implant and the accommodated insertion tool, the implant being attached to the accommodated insertion tool;

once attached, sliding down the outer shaft of the insertion tool until paddles of the graft clip cover the implant.

10 . The graft clip of claim 7 , wherein:

the graft clip is-configured to attach to both an implant and the accommodated insertion tool further comprises being configured to:

accept direction of an open side of the graft clip over the outer shaft;

accept rotation of the graft clip;

after accepting rotation of the graft clip, snap the graft clip fixedly onto the accommodated insertion tool via an upper grip inner surface disposed at the upper grip arm proximal end and a lower grip inner surface disposed at the lower grip arm proximal end.

11 . The graft clip of claim 7 , wherein the graft clip is further configured to be inserted into a disc space while attached to the accommodated insertion tool.

12 . The graft clip of claim 11 , further comprising paddles, wherein:

the paddles are configured to bottom out on bone of at least one vertebrae adjacent to the disc space when the graft clip is inserted into the disc space with an implant, and to remain bottomed out while the implant continues to be advanced into the disc space.

13 . The graft clip of claim 1 , wherein the graft clip is configured to be attached together with a drill guide to an instrument comprising the outer shaft.

Assignments (5)

Continuity (4)

References Cited (246)