Spacer implant for substituting missing vertebrae
US5723013A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 6, 1996 |
| Grant date | Mar 3, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 6, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61F2230/0069
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An implant for replacing a removed vertebra includes an outer sleeve having a longitudinal axis and a peripheral inner surface. The inner surface has a series of axially adjoining, peripheral grooves lending the inner surface a sawtooth-shaped configuration when viewing the inner sleeve in axial section. The implant further includes an inner sleeve having a longitudinal axis and a peripheral outer surface. The outer surface has a series of axially adjoining, peripheral ribs lending the outer surface a sawtooth-shaped configuration when viewing the inner sleeve in axial section. The inner sleeve is telescopingly received in the outer sleeve such that the series of axially adjoining, peripheral ribs of the outer surface engage into the series of axially adjoining, peripheral grooves of the surface in an interfitting relationship. The sawtooth-shaped configurations of the inner and outer surfaces are oriented such that in normal operation the sleeves are prevented by the interengaging sawtooth configurations from being telescoped into one another, but are allowed by ratchet action to telescope outwardly from one another. The inner sleeve is radially sufficiently resilient to allow alt…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.