Upper extremity fusion devices and methods

Inventors

Surma, Gabriel • Guzman, Pamela C. • Pile, Mary • DELLACQUA, Dale • Palmer, Andrew K.

Assignees

Medartis AG

Abstract

A fusion implant and fusion members for fusing target bones of an upper extremity. The fusion implant including internally threaded apertures of a first thread lead, and the fusion members including threading of the first thread lead and threading of a second thread lead that is less than the first thread lead. The fusion implant and a targeting instrument being configured to couple to one another in a predefined orientation. The predetermined orientation resulting in alignment of aspects of the fusion implant with aspects of the targeting instrument. A guide clamp for facilitating forming of an implant cavity in adjacent bones for implantation of the fusion implant therein. A surgical method for facilitating fusion of adjacent target bones utilizing a fusion implant, fusion members, a targeting instrument and a guide clamp to reduce space between the adjacent bones such that they at least abut one another.

Core Innovation

The invention relates to a bone fusion device for use with bones of an upper extremity. A fusion implant is configured for implantation into a cavity spanning at least two adjacent bones, with a body having a first end and a second end substantially opposing the first end. The body has a substantially smooth outer surface and defines a longitudinal axis, while internal features receive fusion members while the implant occupies the cavity spanning the adjacent bones.

At the first end, the device includes an attachment mechanism having a first tip surface and a second tip surface at a longitudinal end of the first end. The first tip surface and the second tip surface are connected to the body surface and angled relative to an axis of the implant so that they have different longitudinal dimensions, allowing a user to couple the implant with an instrument in a predefined first orientation different from a second undesired orientation.

The body includes at least two non-threaded apertures extending laterally through the body from a first side to a second side and at least two internally threaded apertures including a first thread lead extending laterally through the body from a third side to a fourth side. A first threaded aperture is proximate the first end, and a second threaded aperture is proximate the second end and is angled with respect to the longitudinal axis so that the axis angles away from the second end as it extends from the third side to the fourth side.

Dependent structure further constrains geometry so that aperture axes and tip surface features maintain consistent spatial relationships relative to the implant longitudinal axis. Additional dependent structure includes a threaded cavity having a non-threaded cavity portion and a threaded cavity portion in fluid communication with an opening and with each other.

Claims Coverage

The patent document includes one independent claim directed to an upper-extremity bone fusion device and multiple dependent claims that refine geometric and structural features. The main inventive coverage is the fusion implant’s orientation-controlled attachment mechanism combined with a specific internal aperture and threaded-cavity geometry, including angled threaded aperture orientation relative to the implant longitudinal axis.

Across the independent and dependent claim set, the coverage centers on an attachment mechanism that enables coupling in a predefined orientation by using angled tip surfaces with different longitudinal dimensions and an internal aperture system with both non-threaded apertures and internally threaded apertures, including an angled threaded aperture whose axis angles away from the second end relative to the implant longitudinal axis, together with dependent refinements that constrain axis/plane relationships and threaded-cavity sub-structures.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications

No documented applications found