Variable angle spinal surgery instrument

Abstract

An instrument for use in a procedure for inserting a spinal implant between human vertebrae may include a shaft and an end member. The end member may rotate with respect to the shaft. An angle of the end member with respect to the shaft may be varied when the end member is in a disc space between the human vertebrae. The instrument may include a slide for securing the end member at selected angles relative to the shaft. The end member may be separable from the shaft when the end member is in a selected orientation with the shaft. An instrument kit may include a shaft assembly and modular end members for various steps in a surgical procedure, such as disc space preparation, disc space evaluation, and spinal implant insertion.

1 . An instrument for use in spinal surgery, comprising: 
 a shaft;    an end member rotatably coupled with the shaft, wherein the end member is configured to be positioned between vertebrae; and    a slide coupled to the shaft;    wherein the slide is configured to selectively couple with the end member to inhibit rotation of the end member with respect to the shaft.    
     
     
         2 . The instrument of  claim 1 , wherein the end member is separable from the shaft when the end member is placed in a selected orientation with respect to the shaft.  
     
     
         3 . The instrument of  claim 1 , wherein the slide comprises one or more capture elements, wherein the end member comprises one or more capture elements, and wherein at least one capture element of the slide is configured to selectively couple with at least one capture element of the end member to inhibit rotation of the end member with respect to the shaft.  
     
     
         4 . The instrument of  claim 3 , wherein the capture elements of the end member and the capture elements of the slide are configured to selectively inhibit rotation of the end member with respect to the shaft over a range of at least 90°.  
     
     
         5 . The instrument of  claim 3 , wherein the capture elements of the end member comprise teeth.  
     
     
         6 . The instrument of  claim 1 , further comprising a locking member coupled to the slide, wherein the locking member is configurable to lock the end member relative to the shaft.  
     
     
         7 . The instrument of  claim 1 , further comprising a biasing member coupled to the slide, wherein the biasing member is configured to urge the slide toward the end member.  
     
     
         8 . The instrument of  claim 1 , wherein the end member comprises a rasp.  
     
     
         9 . The instrument of  claim 1 , wherein the end member comprises a trial member.  
     
     
         10 . The instrument of  claim 1 , wherein the end member comprises a tamp.  
     
     
         11 . An instrument for performing a spinal surgical procedure, comprising: 
 a shaft; and    an end member configured to rotatably couple with the shaft, wherein the end member is configured to be positioned between vertebrae,    wherein the end member is separable from the shaft when the end member is placed in a selected orientation with respect to the shaft.    
     
     
         12 . The instrument of  claim 11 , wherein the end member comprises a slot, wherein a portion of the shaft is configured to pass through the slot when the end member is rotated to a selected angle to allow the end member to separate from the shaft.  
     
     
         13 . The instrument of  claim 11 , wherein the end member comprises a surface configured to face an endplate of a human vertebrae during use, wherein the slot opens on the surface.  
     
     
         14 . The instrument of  claim 11 , wherein the end member comprises a hole, wherein the shaft comprises a connector, wherein the connector is configured to pivotably couple with the hole.  
     
     
         15 . The instrument of  claim 11 , wherein a distal end of the shaft comprises a tee portion, wherein the end member comprises a hole, wherein at least part of the tee portion is configured to pivotably couple with the hole.  
     
     
         16 . The instrument of  claim 11 , further comprising a slide coupled to the shaft, wherein the slide is configured to selectively couple with the end member to inhibit rotation of the end member with respect to the shaft.  
     
     
         17 . The instrument of  claim 16 , further comprising a biasing member coupled to the slide, wherein the biasing member is configured to urge the slide toward the end member.  
     
     
         18 . The instrument of  claim 16 , further comprising a locking member coupled to the slide, wherein the locking member is configurable to lock the end member in a selected orientation relative to the shaft.  
     
     
         19 . An end member for a spinal surgical instrument, wherein the end member is configured to rotatably couple with a shaft of the spinal surgical instrument, and wherein the end member is configured to separate from the shaft when the end member is placed in a selected orientation with respect to the shaft.  
     
     
         20 . The end member of  claim 19 , wherein the end member comprises a slot configured to allow a portion of the shaft to pass through when the end member is rotated to a selected angle with respect to the shaft.  
     
     
         21 . The end member of  claim 19 , further comprising at least one capture element configured to couple with a portion of a slide on the shaft to inhibit rotation of the end member with respect to the shaft.  
     
     
         22 . The end member of  claim 19 , wherein the end member comprises a rasp.  
     
     
         23 . The end member of  claim 19 , wherein the end member comprises a trial member.  
     
     
         24 . The end member of  claim 19 , wherein the end member comprises a tamp.  
     
     
         25 . A shaft assembly for a spinal surgical instrument comprising: 
 a shaft configured to rotatably couple with an end member that is configured to be positioned between vertebrae; and    a slide coupled to the shaft;    wherein the slide is configured to couple with an end member to inhibit rotation of the end member with respect to the shaft.    
     
     
         26 . The surgical instrument of  claim 25 , further comprising a biasing member coupled to the slide, wherein the biasing member is configured to urge the slide toward the end member.  
     
     
         27 . The surgical instrument of  claim 25 , further comprising a locking member coupled to the slide, wherein the locking member is configurable to lock the end member relative to the shaft.  
     
     
         28 . The surgical instrument of  claim 25 , wherein the slide comprises indicia.  
     
     
         29 . A method of using a spinal surgical instrument, comprising: 
 securing an end member at a first angle relative to a shaft;    moving the end member to a first position between vertebrae at a surgical site;    loosening the end member relative to the shaft;    rotating the shaft relative to the end member;    securing the end member at a second angle relative to the shaft; and    moving the end member to a second position at the surgical site.    
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein rotating the shaft relative to the end member comprises angling the shaft while the end member is at least partially in a disc space between human vertebrae.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the first position is deeper in the surgical site than the second position.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the second position is deeper in the surgical site than the first position.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprising: 
 loosening the end member relative to the shaft; and    removing the end member from the surgical site while the end member remains loosened with respect to the shaft.    
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein moving the end member to the second position comprises abrading disc material to extend a disc space between vertebrae.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein moving the end member to the second position comprises abrading bone with a surface of the end member.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the end member comprises a trial member, further comprising gauging a height of a disc space with the trial member.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein moving the end member to the second position comprises pushing a spinal implant in a disc space between human vertebrae.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprising engaging a spinal implant with the end member and rotating the spinal implant with respect to the surgical site.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprising coupling the end member to the shaft before securing the end member at the first angle.  
     
     
         40 . A method, comprising: 
 placing an end member of a surgical instrument at a selected orientation with respect to a shaft, wherein the end member is configured to be positioned between vertebrae;    passing a portion of the shaft through a slot in the end member; and    pivoting the end member with respect to the shaft.    
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , further comprising securing the end member at a selected angle relative to the shaft.  
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 40 , further comprising securing the end member at a selected angle relative to the shaft, wherein securing the end member comprises coupling a slide with the end member.  
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 40 , further comprising securing the end member at a selected angle relative to the shaft and inserting the end member between portions of bone.