Mechanical apparatus and method for artificial disc replacement

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device and method to 1) facilitate disk fusing, 2) perform an artificial replacement of the nucleus, 3) perform an artificial replacement of the annulus, or 4, perform an artificial replacement of both the nucleus and annulus. The device is designed to be placed into the inter-vertebral space following diskectomy. The invention includes a delivery catheter and an expandable continuous mesh loop that has a torus configuration with a lumen within the mesh and a central hole. The mesh loop can be diametrically increased or contracted in diameter by the control element acting on the mesh loop. The mesh loop may be formed of a woven or braided material for a polymer such as PEEK (polyetheretherketone), nylon, polyurethane, polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene or any other biocompatible polymer, or formed from a metallic braid of stainless steel, Elgiloy, Nitinol, or any other biocompatible metal.

1 . A method for treating an inter-vertebral disc in a patient's spine, the disc having an annulus and a nucleus, the method comprising:
 inserting an artificial disc replacement device into the inter-vertebral space to repair or reinforce a damaged annulus fiborosis;   positioning an continuous mesh loop circumferentially around said annular tissues such that said continuous mesh loop substantially encircles the inside of the annular space;   said continuous mesh loop not requiring pressurization or injection of material to expand circumferentially or diametrically to fill the inter-vertebral space; and   expanding said continuous mesh loop within said annular space using a control element that interacts with said mesh loop to reinforce said annulus fibrosis.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  including the step of subsequently delivering and injecting a suitable biomaterial to replace at least a portion of said damaged annular tissue. 
     
     
         3 . A method for treating an inter-vertebral disc as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising;
 withdrawing said control element from said continuous mesh loop after the last step of expanding said continuous mesh loop.