Intervertebral disc annulus stent

Abstract

A stent, or device for repair and reconstruction of the spinal disc wall, or annulus fibrosus, after surgical incision or pathologic rupture, which is inserted through an aperture into the subannular space. The stent has radial extensions which are caused or allowed to expand into an expanded configuration to bridge the aperture. The stent thereby occludes the defective region from the inside of the vertebral disc and prevents the migration of nucleus pulposus therethrough, while also providing a scaffold for tissue growth.

1 - 44 . (canceled)  
   
   
       45 . An implant for treating an intervertebral disc, comprising: an elongate expander defining a pre-formed concavity, wherein the expander has varied stiffness along at least one axis or between a first axis and a second axis; and a membrane, wherein the membrane is in contact with at least a portion of the expander.  
   
   
       46 . The implant of  claim 45 , wherein said implant is a barrier or a patch.  
   
   
       47 . The implant of  claim 45 , wherein the expander has varied stiffness along at least a portion of said first axis, wherein said first axis is a height or vertical axis.  
   
   
       48 . The implant of  claim 45 , wherein the expander has varied stiffness along at least a portion of said second axis, wherein said second axis is a length or horizontal axis.  
   
   
       49 . The implant of  claim 45 , wherein the expander has varied stiffness along at least a portion of the first axis and along at least a portion of the second axis.  
   
   
       50 . The implant of  claim 45 , wherein said first axis is perpendicular to said second axis.  
   
   
       51 . The implant of  claim 45 , wherein said varied stiffness promotes the implant's ability to resist migration in the intervertebral disc space.  
   
   
       52 . The implant of  claim 45 , wherein the expander comprises one or more struts.  
   
   
       53 . The implant of  claim 52 , wherein said one or more struts are adapted to vary the stiffness of the expander.  
   
   
       54 . The implant of  claim 52 , wherein said one or more struts comprise one or more slots.  
   
   
       55 . The implant of  claim 52 , wherein said one or more struts comprise one or more slots, wherein said one or more slots are adapted to vary the stiffness of at least a portion of the expander.  
   
   
       56 . The implant of  claim 52 , wherein said one or more struts comprise one or more slots, wherein said one or more slots promote flexibility of at least a portion of the expander.  
   
   
       57 . The implant of  claim 45 , wherein the membrane covers at least a portion of the expander.  
   
   
       58 . The implant of  claim 45 , wherein the membrane is a coating material, wherein said coating material coats at least a portion of the expander.  
   
   
       59 . The implant of  claim 45 , wherein the membrane comprises a sealant, wherein said sealant is adapted to minimize or prevent the flow of a material through a defect in the anulus fibrosis.  
   
   
       60 . The implant of  claim 45 , wherein the membrane is woven through the expander.  
   
   
       61 . The implant of  claim 45 , wherein the expander is operable to expand or enlarge at least a portion of the membrane.  
   
   
       62 . The implant of  claim 45 , wherein the expander is adapted to expand the membrane from a compressed state after insertion into the interior of the disc.  
   
   
       63 . The implant of  claim 45 , wherein the varied stiffness is adapted to provide a flexible bend axis along a central area of the height and a stiff region along the length of the barrier.  
   
   
       64 . The implant of  claim 45 , wherein the expander comprises one or more fingers.  
   
   
       65 . The implant of  claim 64 , wherein said one or more fingers are adapted are adapted to vary the stiffness of the expander.  
   
   
       66 . The implant of  claim 45 , wherein said barrier is adapted to fit between opposing endplates adjacent an intervertebral disc.  
   
   
       67 . The implant of  claim 45 , wherein said implant has a length in the range of about 3 mm to a length corresponding to the entire inner perimeter of an anulus fibrosus.  
   
   
       68 . The implant of  claim 45 , wherein the expander is comprised of a material selected from the group consisting of one or more of the following: silicon, rubber, plastic, stainless steel, and nickel titanium alloy.  
   
   
       69 . The implant of  claim 45 , wherein the expander comprises a lattice.  
   
   
       70 . An implant for treating an intervertebral disc, comprising: one or more expanding means, wherein said at least one expanding means has a first region and a second region, wherein said first region is flexible region and wherein said second region is a region that is less flexible than said first region, wherein said first region and said second region are contiguous; and one or more sealing means, wherein at least one sealing means is in contact with at least a portion of the expander.  
   
   
       71 . An implantable barrier for treating an intervertebral disc, comprising: a framing means, wherein said framing means has a first region, a second region and a third region, wherein said first region is a rigid region, wherein said second region is a flexible region, wherein said flexible region is more flexible than said first region, wherein said third region is less flexible than said second region, wherein said first region and said second region are contiguous, wherein said second region and said third region are contiguous; and a sealing means, wherein the sealing means is in contact with at least a portion of the expander.