Apparatus and methods for spooled vertebral anchors
Inventors
Daniels, David W. • Prygoski, Matthew • Detlefsen, Richard • Tozakoglou, Evangelos
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-12458408-B2
Publication Date
2025-11-04
Expiration Date
Abstract
Apparatus and method for dynamic connection between adjacent bones. Various embodiments pertain to a bone anchor that includes a rotatable spool, the spool being configured to place tension on a flexible member, such as a tether, suture, cable, or other. Still further embodiments pertain to tools for interconnecting two bone anchors with a tether.
Core Innovation
The implantable assembly provides dynamic connection to a bone of an animal using a flexible tether. A head body defining a pocket supports a bone anchor, a rotatable gear, and a shaft coupled to the gear and rotatably supported by the head body. The head body, gear, and shaft cooperate to wrap a first portion of the flexible tether around the shaft within the pocket in response to rotation of the gear.
Additional described embodiments include spinal fixation arrangements, separable tether-end connectors, a spool-locking member, and independently adjustable anchor links. The drawings and descriptions further identify bevel-gear tensioning tools, tethered spinal-anchor constructs, and alternative anchor-head configurations. The background section is omitted from the disclosure, and the specific problem being solved is not explicitly described in patent.
Claims Coverage
The provided claims identify one independent claim covering an implantable assembly alongside several inventive features.
Gear-driven tether wrapping
Claim 1 recites a head body defining a pocket, a bone anchor extending from the head body, a gear adapted for rotation about an axis, and a shaft coupled to the gear and rotatably supported by the head body to wrap a first portion of a flexible tether within the pocket upon gear rotation.
Tether compression against the shaft
A locking member attached to the head body compresses the first tether portion against the shaft.
Aperture-based tether engagement
An aperture in the shaft receives a second tether portion and pulls on the tether when the gear rotates.
Slidable tether connector
A separable end connector attached to a second flexible tether is slidably coupled to a receptacle in the head body.
Bevel gear and perpendicular axes
The gear is a bevel gear, and the support axis is perpendicular to the gear's axis of rotation.
The claims center on an implantable bone-anchor assembly using a gear-driven shaft to wrap a flexible tether within a pocket, further incorporating tether locking, aperture engagement, slidable connectors, and bevel gear configurations.
Stated Advantages
Not explicitly described in patent.
Documented Applications
Spinal fixation arrangements using implantable bone-anchor assemblies linked by flexible tethers.
Dynamic connection of an implantable assembly to a bone of an animal, particularly vertebrae or placement at the spine, using at least a first portion of a flexible tether.
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