Deflection rod system for a spine implant including an inner rod and an outer shell and method

1. A spinal implant that is adapted to be mounted to a spine comprising:

a deflection rod system having a first section and a second section;

a horizontal rod adapted to be secured at each end by a bone anchor to a vertebra;

a first mount connected to the first section and adapted to secure the first section of the deflection rod system to a vertical rod which supports a load from an adjacent vertebra;

a second mount connected to the second section which secures the second section of the deflection rod system to the horizontal rod;

wherein the deflection rod system is adapted, by bending of the deflection rod system, to permit resilient deflection of the first mount relative to the horizontal rod and thereby supports the load from the adjacent vertebra while accommodating relative movement between the vertebra and the adjacent vertebra;

said deflection rod system including an inner rod and an outer shell;

wherein said inner rod is cylindrical in shape; and

wherein said outer shell increases in diameter going from the first mount towards the second mount.

2. The implant of claim 1 , wherein said second mount connects the second section of the deflection rod system to a middle portion of the horizontal rod.

3. The implant of claim 1 , wherein said second mount connects the second section of the deflection rod system to the horizontal rod with the deflection rod system substantially parallel to the horizontal rod.

4. The implant of claim 2 , wherein said second mount connects the second section of the deflection rod system to the horizontal rod such that the deflection rod system forms a cantilever with respect to the horizontal rod.

5. The implant of claim 1 wherein said inner rod is comprised of a super elastic material.

6. The implant of claim 1 , wherein the first mount is ball-shaped and adapted to be received in a socket of the vertical rod.

7. The implant of claim 1 wherein said inner rod is comprised of Nitinol.

8. The implant of claim 1 wherein said outer shell is comprised of a biocompatible polymer.

9. The implant of claim 1 wherein said outer shell is comprised of PEEK.

10. The implant of claim 1 wherein said inner rod is comprised of a first material and the outer shell is comprised of a second material, and wherein said second material is selected such that the outer shell is stiffer than the first material, and wherein said outer shell resists movement of said inner rod.

11. The implant of claim 1 wherein said inner rod is comprised of a first material and the outer shell is comprised of a second material, and wherein said second material causes the load that is placed on the inner rod by the spine to be spread along the elongated inner rod.

12. The implant of claim 1 wherein said inner rod extends past said outer shell at the first section of the deflection rod system.

13. The implant of claim 1 , wherein:

said deflection rod system further comprises a third section and wherein the second section is located between the first section and the third section;

and wherein the implant includes a third mount connected to the third section and adapted to secure the third section to a second vertical rod which supports a load from the adjacent vertebra;

wherein the deflection rod system is adapted, by bending of the deflection rod system, to permit resilient deflection of the first mount and third mount relative to the horizontal rod and thereby support the load from the adjacent vertebra while accommodating relative movement between the vertebra and the adjacent vertebra; and

wherein said outer shell also increases in diameter going from the third mount towards the second mount.

14. The implant of claim 13 , wherein said second mount connects the second section of the deflection rod system to the spinal rod with the deflection rod system substantially parallel to the horizontal rod.

15. The implant of claim 13 , wherein said outer shell is conical in shape between the second mount and the first mount and is conical in shape between the second mount and the third mount.

16. The implant of claim 13 , wherein:

the first mount is ball-shaped and adapted to be received in a socket of the vertical rod; and

the third mount is ball-shaped and adapted to be received in a second socket of the second vertical rod.

17. A spinal implant that is adapted to be mounted to a spine comprising:

a deflection rod system including a first section and a second section;

a spinal rod adapted to be mounted at each end by a bone anchor to a vertebra;

a first mount connected to the first section and adapted to secure the first section of the deflection rod system to a vertical rod which supports a load from an adjacent vertebra;

a second mount connected to the second section and adapted to secure the second section of the deflection rod system to the spinal rod;

wherein the deflection rod system is adapted, by bending of the deflection rod system, to permit resilient deflection of the first mount relative to the spinal rod and thereby support the load from the adjacent vertebra while accommodating relative movement between the vertebra and the adjacent vertebra;

said deflection rod system including an inner rod and an outer shell;

wherein said inner rod is elongated and said outer shell is elongated along the elongated inner rod;

wherein said outer shell is conical in shape with a larger diameter adjacent to the second section of the deflection rod system and a smaller diameter located adjacent to the first section of the deflection rod system; and

wherein said inner rod is comprised of a super elastic material.

18. The implant of claim 17 wherein said outer shell is comprised of a biocompatible polymer.

19. A spinal implant that is adapted to be mounted to a spine comprising:

a deflection rod system including a first section and a second section;

a horizontal rod adapted to be mounted to another implant that can be implanted in a vertebra;

a first mount connected to the first section and adapted to secure the first section of the deflection rod system to a vertical rod which supports a load from an adjacent vertebra;

a second mount connected to the second section which secures the second section of the deflection rod system to the horizontal rod;

wherein the deflection rod system is adapted, by bending of the deflection rod system, to permit resilient deflection of the first mount relative to the horizontal rod and thereby support the load from the adjacent vertebra while accommodating relative movement between the vertebra and the adjacent vertebra;

said deflection rod system including an inner rod and an outer shell; and

wherein said inner rod is elongated and said outer shell is elongated along the elongated inner rod.

20. The implant of claim 19 including:

said outer shell is conical in shape with a larger diameter adjacent to the second mount of the deflection rod system and a smaller diameter located adjacent to the first mount of the deflection rod system; and

wherein said inner rod is comprised of a super elastic material.

21. The implant of claim 20 wherein said outer shell is comprised of a biocompatible polymer.

22. The implant of claim 19 , wherein the first mount is ball-shaped and adapted to be received in a socket of the vertical rod.

23. The implant of claim 19 , wherein the second mount secures the second section of the deflection rod system to a middle portion of the horizontal rod and the horizontal rod is adapted to be secured at each end in fixed relationship to the vertebra by a bone anchor.

24. The implant of claim 19 , wherein:

said deflection rod system further comprises a third section and wherein the second section is located between the first section and the third section;

and wherein the implant includes a third mount connected to the third section and adapted to secure the third section to another vertical rod which supports a load from the adjacent vertebra; and

wherein the deflection rod system is adapted, by bending of the deflection rod system, to permit resilient deflection of the first mount and the third mount relative to the horizontal rod and thereby support the load from the adjacent vertebra while accommodating relative movement between the vertebra and the adjacent vertebra.

25. The implant of claim 19 , wherein said inner rod comprises Nitinol and said outer shell comprises PEEK.

26. A spinal implant that is adapted to be mounted to a spine comprising:

a deflection rod system having a first section and a second section;

a horizontal rod adapted to be secured at each end by a bone anchor to a vertebra;

a first mount connected to the first section and adapted to secure the first section of the deflection rod system to a vertical rod which supports a load from an adjacent vertebra;

a second mount connected to the second section which secures the second section of the deflection rod system to the horizontal rod; and

wherein the deflection rod system is adapted, by bending of the deflection rod system, to permit resilient deflection of the first mount relative to the horizontal rod and thereby support the load from the adjacent vertebra while accommodating relative movement between the vertebra and the adjacent vertebra.

27. The spinal implant of claim 26 , wherein

said deflection rod system further comprises a third section and wherein the second section is located between the first section and the third section;

and wherein the implant includes a third mount connected to the third section and adapted to secure the third section to another vertical rod which supports a load from the adjacent vertebra; and

wherein the deflection rod system is adapted, by bending of the deflection rod system, to permit resilient deflection of the first mount and the third mount relative to the horizontal rod and thereby support the load from the adjacent vertebra while accommodating relative movement between the vertebra and the adjacent vertebra.