Corpectomy vertebral body replacement implant system

1. A height adjustable prosthetic system for placement between adjacent vertebrae comprising:

at least one upper member and at least one corresponding lower member, each member having corresponding outer and inner bearing surfaces, each of said outer bearing surfaces adapted to face an adjacent vertebra;

a connecting member interposed between each of said upper member and corresponding lower member, said connecting member having opposite first and second ends, each first end of said connecting member engages said inner bearing surface of said upper member and each second end of said connecting member engages said inner bearing surface of corresponding lower member;

means for adjusting the height of said prosthetic system; and

a connecting and stabilizing assembly adapted to attach each of said upper and lower members to an adjacent vertebra; and

wherein said height adjusting means comprises:

a plurality of inclined cam surfaces having teeth extending substantially vertically from the inner bearing surfaces of said upper and lower members;

a plurality of inclined cam surfaces having teeth corresponding to said plurality of inclined cam surfaces of said upper and lower members on each of first and second ends of said connecting member;

wherein relative movement of said inclined cam surfaces of said upper and lower members with said inclined cam surfaces of said connecting member increases or decreases the height of said prosthetic system; and

further comprising means for maintaining said upper member in axial alignment with each first end of said connecting member and for maintaining said lower member in axial alignment with each second end of said connecting member, when the height of the prosthetic system is increased or decreased by relative movement of said inclined cam surfaces of said upper and lower members with said inclined cam surfaces of said connecting member.

2. The height adjustable prosthetic system of claim 1 wherein said upper and lower members and connecting member are substantially circular such that relative rotation of said upper and lower members with respect to said connecting member in opposite directions increases or decreases the height of said prosthetic system.

3. The height adjustable prosthetic system of claim 1 wherein said height adjusting means further comprises a plurality of openings on said upper and lower members and connecting member to facilitate movement of said upper and lower members with respect to said connecting member.

4. The height adjustable prosthetic system of claim 1 where said connecting and stabilizing assembly comprises:

at least one holding knob adjacent said outer surfaces of said upper and lower members,

at least one connecting rod having opposite ends, one end of each connecting rod attaches to said holding knob, the opposite end of each connecting rod having an opening;

means for fastening said connecting and stabilizing assembly through said opening to said vertebrae.

5. The height adjustable prosthetic system of claim 4 wherein said fastening means comprises a bio-compatible screw.

6. The height adjustable prosthetic system of claim 1 wherein said connecting member further comprises: an the artificial disc interposed between said opposite ends of said connecting member provides flexibility, compressibility and tiltability to said prosthetic system.

7. The height adjustable prosthetic system of claim 6 wherein said artificial disc comprises:

an upper element and a lower element;

means for supporting said prosthetic system in a flexible, compressible and tiltable fashion between said upper and lower elements; and

means for temporarily stabilizing said supporting means for a certain period of time to prevent flexibility, compressibility and tiltability of said prosthetic system.

8. The height adjustability prosthetic system of claim 7 wherein said artificial disc further comprises an elastomeric polymer between said upper and lower elements for additional support and motion preservation.

9. The height adjustability prosthetic system of claim 7 wherein said artificial disc further comprises at least one spring between said upper and lower elements for additional support and motion preservation.

10. The height adjustable prosthetic system of claim 7 wherein said supporting means comprises a disc core having opposing convex surfaces, a perimeter and a circular flange extending from said perimeter towards said opposing convex surfaces.

11. The height adjustable prosthetic system of claim 10 wherein said temporarily stabilizing means comprises a bio-resorbable rigid element surrounding said disc core.

12. The height adjustable prosthetic system of claim 7 wherein said supporting means comprises a disc core formed from a plurality of radially extending wedges sandwiched between top and bottom core elements.

13. The height adjustability prosthetic system of claim 8 wherein said artificial disc further comprises at least one spring between said upper and lower elements for additional support and motion preservation.

14. The height adjustable prosthetic system of claim 7 wherein said supporting means comprises a bellows-like element.

15. The height adjustable prosthetic system of claim 14 wherein said temporarily stabilizing means comprises a bio-resorbable rigid material surrounding said bellows-like element.

16. The height adjustable prosthetic system of claim 7 wherein said supporting means comprises an elastomeric polymer within a bellows like element.

17. The height adjustable prosthetic system of claim 7 where in said supporting means comprises a spring within a bellows like element.

18. The height adjustable prosthetic system of claim 1 wherein said connecting member comprises:

a first element having inner and outer surfaces, said outer surface defining one end of said connecting member;

a second element having inner and outer surfaces, said outer surface defining the opposite end of said connecting member; and

a third element having opposing surfaces interposed between said first and second elements;

wherein said inner surface of said first element is substantially flat and smooth and having a generally central opening;

wherein one surface of said third element adjacent said first element is substantially flat and smooth and having a generally central shaft extension for engaging said central opening of said first element to allow free rotation of said third element with respect to said first element, and said opposing surface of said third element having a plurality of inclined cam surfaces having teeth extending substantially vertically from said opposing surface;

wherein said inner surface of said second element having a plurality of inclined cam surfaces having teeth corresponding to said plurality of inclined cam surfaces of said third element such that relative movement of said inclined cam surfaces of said second and third elements increases or decreases the height of said prosthetic system.

19. The height adjustable prosthetic system of claim 1 ,

wherein each of said upper and lower members comprises an artificial disc, each inner bearing surface of said artificial disc having a generally central opening;

said connecting means comprises an upper element and a lower element, each upper and lower element having an opposing surface facing each other, and outer surfaces defining the opposite ends of said connecting members, each outer surface of said upper and lower elements having a generally central shaft extension for engaging said generally central opening of said artificial disc; and

said height adjusting means comprises a plurality of inclined cam surfaces having teeth extending substantially vertically from each opposing surface of said upper and lower elements, wherein relative movement of said inclined cam surfaces of said upper element with said inclined cam surfaces of said lower element increases or decreases the height of said prosthetic system.

20. The height adjustable prosthetic system of claim 19 wherein said artificial disc comprises:

means for supporting said prosthetic system in a flexible, compressible and tiltable fashion; and

means for temporarily stabilizing said supporting means for a certain period of time to prevent flexibility, compressibility and tiltability of said prosthetic system.

21. The height adjustable prosthetic system of claim 20 wherein said supporting means comprises a disc core having opposing convex surfaces, a perimeter and a circular flange extending from said perimeter towards said opposing convex surfaces.

22. The height adjustable prosthetic system of claim 21 wherein said temporarily stabilizing means comprises a bio-resorbable rigid element surrounding said disc core.

23. The height adjustable prosthetic system of claim 1 wherein each of said upper and lower members comprises an artificial disc having a central, through, opening;

said connecting means comprising:

a first element having inner and outer surfaces, said outer surface defining one end of said connecting member;

a second element having inner and outer surfaces, said outer surface defining the opposite end of said connecting member, and

a third element having opposing surfaces interposed between said first and second elements;

said height adjusting means comprises a plurality of inclined cam surfaces having teeth extending substantially vertically from said inner surfaces of said first and second elements and said opposing surfaces of said third element, wherein relative movement of said inclined cam surfaces of said first, second and third elements with respect to each other increases or decreases the height of said prosthetic system, and

said connecting and stabilizing assembly comprises a bio-compatible screw inserted through said opening of said artificial disc to said vertebrae.