System for determining and placing spinal implants or prostheses

Abstract

A system for determining and placing spinal implants or prostheses includes apparatus for measuring a change in position of vertebrae at an affected level of a patient's spine from a position of pain where the patient reports greatest pain originating from the affected level, to a position of comfort where the patient reports the least pain from the affected level. Spinal implants or prostheses are constructed and arranged for urging the affected level of the spine to the position of comfort when applied to or placed at determined locations in the affected level. In one embodiment, an implant device includes one or more inflatable balloons, wherein each balloon is placed at a certain location in a disc space at the affected level, and vertebrae above and below the balloon are urged to the position of comfort at the affected level when the balloons are inflated.

1 . A system for determining and placing spinal implants or prostheses, comprising:
 means for measuring a spatial change in position of vertebrae at an affected level of a patient's spine from a position of pain (POP) where the patient reports experiencing a greatest pain determined to originate from the affected level, to a position of comfort (POC) where the patient reports experiencing a least pain originating from the affected level; and   one or more spinal implants or prostheses constructed and arranged for urging the affected level of the patient's spine to the position of comfort when applied to or placed at determined locations in the affected level.   
     
     
         2 . A system according to  claim 1 , including a database associated with the measuring means, wherein the database is configured to store information concerning a number of spinal implants or prostheses, and the measuring means is constructed and arranged to select one or more implants or prostheses from the database according to the change in position of the vertebrae from the POP to the POC as measured at the affected level. 
     
     
         3 . A system according to  claim 2 , wherein the implants or prostheses are selected from among artificial discs, rod/screw constructs, flexible rods, and distraction devices. 
     
     
         4 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the measuring means comprises a scanner for producing radiographic image data. 
     
     
         5 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the measuring means comprises apparatus for producing an X-ray at the POP and at the POC. 
     
     
         6 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the measuring means comprises a surgical table. 
     
     
         7 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the measuring means comprises at least one of an electrogoniomter and a torsiometer. 
     
     
         8 . A system for determining and placing spinal implants or prostheses, comprising:
 means for measuring a spatial change in position of vertebrae at an affected level of a patient's spine from a position of pain (POP) where the patient reports experiencing a greatest pain determined to originate from the affected level, to a position of comfort (POC) where the patient reports experiencing a least pain originating from the affected level; and   an implant device including one or more inflatable balloons dimensioned and arranged for insertion into a disc space in the affected level, wherein each balloon of the device is placed at a determined location in the disc space, and vertebrae above and below the balloon are urged to the position of comfort at the affected level when the balloons of the device are inflated.   
     
     
         9 . A system according to  claim 8 , wherein the measuring means comprises a scanner for producing radiographic image data. 
     
     
         10 . A system according to  claim 8 , wherein the measuring means comprises apparatus for producing an X-ray at the POP and at the POC. 
     
     
         11 . A system according to  claim 8 , wherein the measuring means comprises a surgical table. 
     
     
         12 . A system according to  claim 8 , wherein the measuring means comprises at least one of an electrogoniomter and a torsiometer. 
     
     
         13 . A system according to  claim 8 , wherein the implant device comprises a flexible, generally disk shaped plate, and a plurality of the inflatable balloons disposed on an inside surface of the plate. 
     
     
         14 . A system according to  claim 13 , wherein the implant device includes an inflatable anchor balloon disposed on the inside surface of the plate, and a spike projecting from an outside surface of the plate opposite the inside surface in the region of the anchor balloon, so that the spike is forced into a confronting vertebral bone when the plate is operatively inserted in the disc space and the anchor balloon is inflated. 
     
     
         15 . A system according to  claim 14 , wherein the anchor balloon is shaped so that when inflated, the anchor balloon defines an open central region inside the disc space. 
     
     
         16 . A system according to  claim 13 , including a tool for inserting the balloons into the disc space percutaneously, and for inflating the balloons. 
     
     
         17 . A system according to  claim 16 , wherein the tool comprises a syringe or pump for dispensing a liquid substance or a cement for inflating the balloons, a selector device in communication with the syringe or pump, and a number of balloon filling tubes each of which has an associated one of the balloons fixed at a distal end of the tube, wherein the selector device is constructed and arranged to direct a filling liquid or cement from the syringe or pump through a selected one of the filling tubes to inflate the associated balloon. 
     
     
         18 . A system according to  claim 16 , wherein the tool is constructed and arranged for inserting a bone fixing material into an open central region inside the disc space after the balloons are inflated and the vertebrae above and below the balloons are urged to the position of comfort at the affected level. 
     
     
         19 . A system according to  claim 18 , wherein the anchor balloon is formed so that when inflated, the anchor balloon defines the open central region inside the disc space.