Method of laterally inserting an artificial vertebral disk replacement implant with crossbar spacer

Abstract

The present invention is directed to an implant that can be placed between two adjacent vertebral bodies using a lateral insertion method. The implant is characterized as having a first end plate and a second end plate which a crossbar spacer therebetween. The crossbar spacer preferably fits within a channel on the inner surfaces of the first end plate and the second end plate, whereby the spacer allows pivots, twisting and/or rotational movement of the spine. The first end plate and the second end plate include a keel extending therefrom, whereby the keel traverses longitudinally between a first lateral side and a second opposed lateral side and is substantially perpendicular to the sagittal plane of the patient's spine.

1 - 19 . (canceled) 
   
   
       20 . A method of laterally inserting an intervertebral implant, comprising:
 accessing adjacent upper and lower vertebral bodies through a lateral approach;   preparing the adjacent upper and lower vertebral bodies to receive an implant; and   laterally inserting the implant between the adjacent upper and lower vertebral bodies, wherein laterally inserting comprises:
 mating an upper end plate of the implant with the upper vertebral body; and 
 mating a lower end plate of the implant with the lower vertebral body, 
 orienting a crossbar spacer between the upper and lower end plates, the crossbar spacer having a first spacer beam and a second spacer beam perpendicular to the first spacer beam, the first and second spacer beams being circular in cross-section, wherein the crossbar spacer facilitates movement of the first end plate and the second endplate relative to each other when implanted. 
   
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein preparing includes cutting receiving channels into the upper and lower vertebral bodies, and wherein laterally inserting the implant includes inserting a first keel of the upper end plate of the implant into the receiving channel of the upper vertebral body and a second keel of the lower end plate of the implant into the receiving channel of the lower vertebral body. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein laterally inserting includes orienting the first and second keels perpendicular to the sagittal plane of the vertebral body. 
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the first spacer beam is off-set from the second spacer beam. 
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the off-set between the first and second spacer beams allows the upper and lower end plates to pivot about the first and second spacer beams of the crossbar spacer. 
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the off-set between the first and second spacer beams allow the spacer to be positioned between, and in contact with, the upper end plate and the lower end plate at the same time. 
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the upper end plate includes a first inner surface with a first channel and the lower end plate includes a second inner surface with a second channel, wherein orienting the crossbar spacer includes receiving the first spacer beam in the first channel and receiving the second spacer beam in the second channel. 
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising assembling the implant including:
 providing the upper implant member having a first inner surface with a first channel;   providing the lower implant member having a second inner surface with a second channel, the second inner surface opposing the first inner surface; and   orienting the cross-bar spacer includes inserting the crossbar member between the upper and lower implant members, wherein the first spacer beam is received in the first channel and the second spacer beam is received in the second channel.   
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the orienting the crossbar spacer between the upper and lower end plates occurs before mating the upper and lower end plates with the respective upper and lower vertebral bodies. 
   
   
       29 . A method of inserting an intervertebral implant laterally in a spine comprising:
 preparing an affected area of the spine to receive the implant laterally; and   laterally inserting an implant into the affected area, including:
 mating an upper end plate of the implant with the upper vertebral body, the upper end plate having a first inner surface with a first channel; and 
 mating a lower end plate of the implant with the lower vertebral body, the lower end plate having a second inner surface with a second channel perpendicular to the first channel, the second inner surface opposing the first inner surface, 
 orienting a crossbar spacer between the upper and lower end plates, wherein orienting the crossbar spacer includes:
 positioning a first spacer beam of the crossbar spacer in the first channel; 
 positioning a second spacer beam of the crossbar spacer in the second channel, the first and second spacer beams being circular in cross-section, 
 wherein the crossbar spacer is movable relative to the upper end plate and the lower end plate. 
 
   
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein preparing an affected area includes exposing the affected area of the spine through a lateral access and removing the affected disk. 
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein preparing an affected area includes cutting receiving channels into adjacent upper and lower vertebral bodies, and wherein laterally inserting the implant includes inserting a first keel of the upper end plate of the implant into the receiving channel of the upper vertebral body and a second keel of the lower end plate of the implant into the receiving channel of the lower vertebral body. 
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein laterally inserting the implant includes orienting the first and second keels perpendicular to the sagittal plane of the vertebral body. 
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the first spacer beam is off-set from the second spacer beam. 
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the off-set between the first and second spacer beams allow the upper and lower end plates to pivot about the first and second spacer beams of the crossbar spacer. 
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the off-set between the first and second spacer beams allows the spacer to be positioned between, and in contact with, the upper end plate and the lower end plate at the same time. 
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the orienting the crossbar spacer between the upper and lower end plates occurs before mating the upper and lower end plates with the respective upper and lower vertebral bodies. 
   
   
       37 . A method of laterally implanting a device between upper and lower vertebral bodies in a spine, the method comprising:
 exposing an affected region of the spine laterally;   removing an affected disk between the upper and lower vertebral bodies;   cutting receiving channels into the upper and lower vertebral bodies;   selecting an implant having:
 an upper end plate adapted to mate with the upper vertebral body, the upper end plate having a first keel extending from a first outer surface; 
 a lower end plate adapted to mate with the lower body, the lower end plate having a second keel extending from a second outer surface; and 
 a crossbar spacer positioned between the upper and lower end plates, the crossbar spacer having a first spacer beam and a second spacer beam perpendicular to the first spacer beam, the first and second spacer beams being circular in cross section, wherein the crossbar spacer facilitates pivotal movement of the first end plate and the second end plate relative to each other; and 
   inserting the implant between the upper and lower vertebral bodies, wherein inserting the implant includes inserting the first keel into the receiving channel of the upper vertebral body and the second keel into the receiving channel of the lower vertebral body.   
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the upper end plate includes a first inner surface with a first channel and the lower end plate includes a second inner surface with a second channel, wherein the first spacer beam is received in the first channel and the second spacer beam is received in the second channel. 
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the first spacer beam is off-set from the second spacer beam. 
   
   
       40 . The method of  claim 39 , the off-set between the first and second spacer beams allow the upper and lower end plates to pivot about the first and second spacer beams of the crossbar spacer. 
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein cutting receiving channels into the upper and lower vertebral bodies includes cutting the channels perpendicular to the sagittal plane of the vertebral body.