1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an orthopedic implant. In particular, the present invention relates to a bone screw apparatus, system, and method.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventional bone screws and precursory polyaxial screws have found wide usage in orthopedic spinal surgery. Such devices are routinely used to address spinal instability and displacement, genetic or developmental irregularities, trauma, chronic stress, tumors, and disease. However, such designs are not without limitation. For example, conventional bone screws used with fixation rods , provide for minimal, if any variability in the placement of these rods relative to the position of the bone screw. Specifically, such conventional designs limit the positioning of the rod such that it is aligned with and/or above the screw. The rod itself makes direct contact with the screw head and is used to secure the screw into a coupling element in order to lock or secure the entire assembly into place. As a result, a surgeon is forced to try and position the screw taking into account the position of the rod and being generally unable to move the screw into the most optimal or strategic position. These limitations may cause the surgeon to reposition the bone screw in order to correctly align the system and as a result cause additional and unnecessary weakening of the bone due to, for example, additional screw holes created by the repositioning and/or stress on the bone screw interface by forcible repositioning. Further, while some bone screws allow for limited radial movement of the coupling element, medial-lateral variability of the placement of these rods relative to the screw is curtailed.
Accordingly, there exists a need for an improved bone screw alignment system that provides ease of use and modularity of assembly and that eliminates the problems set forth above.
The present invention provides for an apparatus for coupling a bone screw to a connector, comprising; a housing that includes; an aperture for receiving a connector, a base having a slot configured for receiving at least one bone screw, and wherein the housing is configured to receive a fixation element.
The present invention also provides for a bone screw apparatus comprising; a coupling element that includes; a housing having; an aperture and a base having a slot; a connector extending through the aperture; a bone screw positioned within the slot; and a fixation element configured to secure the coupling element, connector, and bone screw in a fixed position.
The present invention further provides for a bone screw system comprising; a connector; and at least two bone screw apparatuses each comprising; a coupling element that includes; an aperture, wherein the connector extends through the aperture, and a base having slot; a bone screw positioned within the slot; and a fixation element configured to secure the coupling element, connector, and bone screw in a fixed position.
The present invention furthermore provides for a method for aligning and placing a bone screw system in bone, wherein the bone screw system includes; a connector; and at least a first and a second bone screw apparatus, wherein each bone screw apparatus has a coupling element having an aperture; and a base having a slot; a bone screw positioned within the slot; and a fixation element, wherein the connector extends through the aperture and wherein the fixation element is configured to secure the coupling element, connector, and bone screw in a fixed position, comprising; (a) positioning the first bone screw of the first bone screw apparatus in the slot of the first coupling element, (b) screwing the first bone screw into bone, (c) positioning the second bone screw of the second bone screw apparatus in the slot of the second coupling element, (d) screwing the second bone screw into a second bone, (e) aligning the coupling elements relative to the first and second bone screws, (f) extending the connector through each of the aligned coupling elements, and (g) securing the alignment of the first and second bone screw apparatuses in a fixed position.
The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of the embodiments of the invention, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. In the drawings:
As used herein, the following definitional terms apply. The term “anterior” and “posterior” mean nearer to the front or the back of the body respectively. “Proximal” and “distal” mean nearer and farther from the center of the body respectively. “Medial” and “lateral” mean nearer or farther from the median plane respectively. The median plane is an imaginary, vertical plane that divides the body into a right and left half. A coronal plane is an imaginary, vertical plane that divides the body into a front half and a back half. “Superior” and “inferior” mean above or below respectively. “Sagittal” means a side profile.
The present invention provides for a bone screw apparatus, system, and method for attaching a connector to a vertebra.
In an embodiment, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
The upper housing 4 and lower housing 6 units can be an integral one-piece unit or separate units connected together by any acceptable means (e.g., taper lock, mechanical locking mechanism, screw, dovetail, bonding, and the like). The upper housing 4 has a cross-sectional shape perpendicular to axis A that is generally circular in shape but can also be any shape consistent with the intended use, such as a square, rectangle, oval, or the like. Further, the outer cross-sectional shape can vary from the cross-sectional shape of hole 10 extending therethrough. The upper housing 4 is configured to accommodate the fixation element 8. In this embodiment, the upper housing 4 is configured to have a hole 10 that can receive and accommodate a locking screw 8 (e.g., a set screw). It is preferred that the interior surface 11 defining the hole 10 is threaded, but other embodiments such as snap-fit, cross-threading, interlocking, and dovetailing can also be used.
The lower housing 6 can be wider or narrower measured perpendicular to axis A in the longest dimension of the device than the upper housing 4. In the present embodiment, the lower housing 6 is wider than the upper housing 4 and is generally configured as illustrated in
The lower housing 6 includes a slot 12 as illustrated in
The base 14 has a posterior surface 16 (as shown in
In the present embodiment, the slot 12 includes five slot positions 20 and a center slot position 20a positioned directly below the threaded hole 10. The slot positions 20 are circular in shape but can be any other shape consistent with the intended use. As illustrated in
The slot positions 20 and generally the edge of the slot 20 can optionally be configured to have or be contoured with a beveled edge 24 as shown in
The lower housing 6 can include an aperture 26 as shown in
As illustrated in
In the present embodiment, the fixation element is configured to be a locking screw 8 as shown in
The present embodiment further includes a connector. In the present embodiment the connector is configured as a rod 30. The connector, without limitation, can also be a cylindrical rod, a square rod, an oval rod, a rectangular rod, a hollow rod, or any other longitudinal member consistent with the intended use.
The present embodiment can optionally include a locking wedge 40 as configured and illustrated in
The connector channel 42 is formed on the posterior side of the locking wedge 40 and is configured to cradle or support and preferably mate with the surfaces of the rod 30 as it extends or passes through the device. The connector channel 42 can be indented into the locking wedge 40 as illustrated in
The bone screw 50 of the present embodiment is illustrated in
In the present embodiment, the bone screw 50 includes a head 52 and a threaded shaft 54. The head 52 is configured to have a predominately curvate shape such as a spherical outer surface or a hemispherical shape. The head 52 further includes at least one recess 56 positioned on the top of the bone screw 50 to receive the application of a torque driving tool, such as a screw driver or drill. The recess 56 can alternatively be any configuration that cooperates with any suitable torque driving tool, such as a phillips head configuration, allen wrench, or the like. It is noted that the size of the head 52 and diameter of the threaded shaft can vary depending upon the individual circumstances and size requirements for a particular use or patient. As the size of the bone screw 50 changes, the size of other corresponding components of the bone screw apparatus 1 should change accordingly.
In an assembled state, the bone screw 50 is adjustably positioned within the lower housing 6 with its head 52 positioned within the lower housing 6 and in one of the slot positions 20. The spherical shape of the screw head 52 allows the bone screw 50 to be angled relative to axis A. The locking wedge 40 is positioned within the lower housing 6 such that the concave channel 46 contacts the screw head 52. The rod 30 is then positioned to extend through the coupling element 2 and in contact with or on the connector channel 42. The shape of the connector channel 42 allows the rod 30 to be either perpendicular to or at an angle relative to the direction of the concave channel 46. The locking screw 8 is then screwed (i.e. torqued down) into the threaded hole 10 of the upper housing 4 until sufficient contact is made with the rod 30. As the locking screw 8 is screwed down, it pulls the coupling element 2 posteriorly. As the locking screw 8 is screwed down, it pushes anteriorly onto the rod 30 transmitting a securing force (e.g., an anteriorly directed force) onto the rod 30. Thus, the locking screw 8 supplies an anterior force (i.e., a securing force) to the rod 30 which further transmits a securing force onto the locking wedge 40 which, as a result, secures the coupling element 2 and the bone screw 50 in a fixed position. Overall, the anterior force of the locking screw 8 and the resulting posterior force of the coupling element assembles the bone screw apparatus 1 into a secure and stable position regardless of which slot position 20 the bone screw 50 is located.
In operation, the coupling element 2 can be preassembled with the bone screw 50, which is positioned loosely in a center slot position or the center of the slot 12. Locking wedge 40 can be positioned inside the coupling element 2 such that angled flats 49a, 49b lie loosely on top of angled ridges 32a, 32b of coupling element 2. The concave channel 46 of locking wedge 48 can contact the screw's head 52 as it is positioned in the coupling element 2. A screw-driving tool (not shown) is then inserted through the coupling element 2 from above such that it passes through the upper housing 4 and through tool hole 44 of locking wedge 40. The driving tool then secures bone screw 50 into the bone at a strategic place as determined by the surgeon. Once bone screw 50 is secured into the bone, coupling element 2 is able to move along a plane of the bone surface. That is, coupling element 2 is able to travel along the length of the slot 12 relative to the position of the bone screw 50, and is able to rotate a full 360 degrees around the screw head 52. Coupling element 2 can then be slid medio-laterally for optimal positioning, or rotated in the same plane if needed, so that upper housing 4 lines up with the rod 30 and the screw head 52 is positioned in one of the slot positions 20.
Once screw head 52 is located in the proper slot position 20, the surgeon then inserts rod 30 into the coupling element 2 via through hole 26, wherein the rod 30 is positioned on connector channel 42 of locking wedge 40. The surgeon can then use the screw-driving tool to fasten locking screw 8 onto the upper housing 4 of coupling element 2. Locking screw 8 is then tightened or screwed down until locking wedge 40 engages the screw head 52 (e.g., by being compressed between rod 30 and the screw head 52). Coupling element 2 is pulled upwards as locking screw 8 is tightened so that screw head 52 is secured inside slot position 20 of slot 12.
To remove the bone screw apparatus 1, locking screw 8 can be unfastened and rod 30 removed. Locking wedge 40 is loosened by insertion of a tool (not shown) through tool hole 44. A gripping tool (not shown) may then be used to push down on coupling element 2 and the coupling element 2 slid such that screw head 52 can be located in a center slot position, allowing for the screw driving tool to access and loosen the bone screw 50.
The present invention also provides for a bone screw system 400 as shown in
The present invention further provides for a method for placing and aligning a bone screw system (as describe above) in bone. The method includes positioning a bone screw in a slot of a coupling element (as described in any of the above embodiments), inserting the bone screw into the bone, repositioning the coupling element relative to the bone screw, and securing the alignment and position of the coupling element, and bone screw. The method can further include positioning a connector (as described in any of the above embodiments) through the coupling element, and securing the alignment and position of the connector, coupling element, and bone screw.
The present invention also provides for a method for aligning bones. The method includes providing a bone screw system. The bone screw system includes at least two bone screw apparatuses that each include a coupling element having a connector therethrough and a slot, and a bone screw positioned within the slot, wherein the connector transmits a securing force securing the coupling element and bone screw in a fixed position.
The present invention advantageously allows for additional positioning freedom between a bone screw and a connector in multiple degrees of freedom including the medial, lateral, superior, and inferior directions.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes can be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the broad inventive concept thereof. It is understood, therefore, that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but it is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.
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Child | 13911397 | US |