Intervertebral implant

Abstract

The intervertebral implant is in the form of a three-dimensional structure ( 10 ) comprising (a) a top side ( 1 ) and an underside ( 2 ) which are designed to rest against the end plates of two adjacent vertebras, (b) a left side face ( 3 ) and a right side face ( 4 ), (c) a front face ( 5 ) and a rear face ( 6 ), (d) a horizontal center plane situated between the top side ( 1 ) and the underside ( 2 ), (e) a vertical center plane ( 8 ) situated between the left side face ( 3 ) and the right side face ( 8 ) and (f) a plurality of boreholes ( 9 ) passing through the implant structure ( 10 ) that are designed to receive longitudinal affixation elements ( 20 ), the axes ( 19 ) of said elements intersecting the horizontal center plane ( 7 ). At least one of the boreholes ( 9 ) is designed in a manner that the affixation element ( 10 ) received in it can be rigidly connected to the intervertebral implant. Said connection is implemented using a thread or by matching conical surfaces.

1 . A bone stabilizing system for stabilizing first and second vertebrae in a spinal column comprising:
 a plurality of bone screws having a threaded shaft and a head, the shaft having a longitudinal central axis;   a three dimensional body configured for insertion between the endplates of vertebrae, the three dimensional body having an upper surface for abutting the endplate of the first vertebrae, a lower surface for abutting the endplate of the second vertebrae, a front surface, and a horizontal center plane between the upper and lower surface; and   a front plate having a top surface and a bottom surface, the plate coupleable to the body such that the bottom surface is adjacent to and at least partially overlies the front surface, the plate having a plurality of screw holes for receiving the shafts of the screws, the screw holes extending through the plate and having a central axis, at least two screw holes extending through the plate at an angle such that the central axis of the screw hole ranges from about 25° to about 70° with respect to the horizontal center plane or a plane parallel to the horizontal center plane.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the three dimensional body has a plurality of boreholes, the boreholes extending from the front surface to at least one of the upper surface and the lower surface. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein, when the plate is coupled to the three-dimensional body, the three-dimensional body and at least one of the angled screw holes in the front plate is configured and oriented such that one of the screws inserted into that angled screw hole pierces at least partially at least one of the upper surface and the lower surface of the three-dimensional body. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein, when the front plate is secured to the three-dimensional body, the central axis of at least one of the angled screw holes extends toward the upper surface of the three-dimensional body and the axis of at least one of the angled screw holes extends toward the lower surface of the three-dimensional body. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional body is made from a non-metallic material. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the front plate is formed of a metallic material. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the front plate has a superior surface and an inferior surface and a height between the superior surface and the inferior surface and wherein the front surface of the three-dimensional body has a height between the upper surface and lower surface that is substantially equal to the height of the front plate. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first plate has a superior surface and an inferior surface and a height between the superior surface and the inferior surface and the three-dimensional body has a height between the upper surface and lower surface, wherein the maximum height of the three-dimensional body is substantially equal to or greater than the height of the front plate. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional body further includes at least one borehole in communication with the front surface and one of the upper surface or the lower surface and the front plate is couplable with the three dimensional body so that at least one of the angled screw holes formed in the front plate aligns with the at least one borehole in the three-dimensional body so that one of the bone screws is insertable through the angled screw hole formed in the plate, through the recess formed in the three dimensional bodies and into one of the vertebrae. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the three dimensional body includes at least one through hole extending from the upper surface to the lower surface. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the angled screw holes formed in the front plate is conically shaped such that it tapers conically towards the front plate's bottom surface. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein one of the angled screw holes in the front plate includes internal threads, and at least a portion of the head of one of the bone screws has external threads for engaging the internal thread of the angled screw hole. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one the angled screw holes in the front plate has internal threads and that threaded portion is conically tapered and wherein a plurality of the bone screws have at least a portion of their heads externally threaded. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein one of the upper and lower surfaces of the three-dimensional body is convex. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the front plate has a plurality of angular screw holes and the three-dimensional body has a plurality of boreholes for alignment with the angular screw holes wherein the angular screw holes when aligned with the boreholes form passages for the screws that diverge as the passages extend away from the front surface into the three-dimensional body. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the front plate has a plurality of angular screw holes and the three-dimensional body has a plurality of boreholes for alignment with the angular screw holes, wherein the angular screw holes when aligned with the boreholes form passages for the screws that are parallel as they extend away from the front surface into the three-dimensional body. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the three dimensional body further has a convex left side surface, a convex right side surface and a back surface. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the three-dimensional body further includes a left-side surface, a convex right side surface and a back surface, and the three-dimensional body does not have boreholes to receive screws that pass through either the left side or the right side. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional body has angular boreholes that extend from the front face to at least one of the upper surface and the lower surface and the boreholes do not cross the horizontal plane. 
     
     
         20 . A spine stabilizing system for stabilizing first and second vertebrae in a spinal column comprising:
 a plurality of bone screws having a threaded shaft and a head, the shaft having a longitudinal central axis;   a three dimensional body formed of plastic configured for insertion between endplates of the first and second vertebrae, the three dimensional body having an upper surface for abutting the endplate of a first vertebrae, a lower surface for abutting the endplate of a second vertebrae, a front surface, and a horizontal center plane between the upper and lower surface; and   a front plate formed of a metallic material having a top surface, a bottom surface, a superior surface and an inferior surface, the plate couplable to the three dimensional body such that the bottom surface overlies the front surface, the plate having a plurality of screw holes for receiving there through the shaft of the screws, the screw holes having a central axis and extending through the plate at an angle such that the central axis of the screw hole ranges from about 25° to about 70° with respect to the horizontal center plane or a plane parallel to the horizontal center plane,   wherein a first angled screw hole is angled in the front plate toward the superior surface of the front plate and the second angled screw hole is angled in the front plate toward the inferior surface of the front plate.   
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein at least one of the angled screw holes includes internal threads. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein at least one of the screws includes external threading at least partially on its head. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the height of the front plate is substantially equal to the height of the front surface of the three-dimensional body. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the three dimensional body has a horizontal middle plane between the upper surface and the lower surface, and the front plate is coupleable to the three dimensional body such that the axis of at least two angled screw holes define an angle ranging from about 25° to about 70° with the horizontal middle plane. 
     
     
         25 . A spine stabilizing system for stabilizing first and second vertebrae in a spinal column comprising:
 a plurality of bone screws having a threaded shaft and a head, the shaft having a longitudinal central axis;   a three dimensional body configured for insertion between endplates of the first and second vertebrae, the three dimensional body having an upper surface for abutting the endplate of a first vertebrae, a lower surface for abutting the endplate of a second vertebrae, a left side surface and a right side surface, a front surface and a back surface, the three dimensional body having a horizontal central plane between the upper and lower surface, the three-dimensional body having a plurality of boreholes for receiving there through the screws, at least one borehole extending from the front surface to the upper surface of the three dimensional body and at least one borehole extending from the front surface to the lower surface of the three dimensional body, each borehole having a central axis wherein each central axis is at an angle in the range of about 25° to about 70° relative to the horizontal middle plane of the body.   
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the plurality of bore holes are aligned in the front surface in a horizontal line. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 25 , further comprising:
 a front plate having a top surface, a bottom surface, a superior surface and an inferior surface, the plate couplable to the three dimensional body such that the bottom surface overlies the front surface, the plate having a plurality of screw holes for receiving there through the shaft of the screws, the screw holes having a central axis, at least two of the plurality of screw holes extending through the front plate so that the axis of the screw hole is at an angle that is substantially equal to the angle of the boreholes in the three-dimensional body,   wherein the position and orientation of the front plate is such that the at least two angled boreholes in the three dimensional body are aligned with the at least two angled screw holes in the front plate so that the screws are insertable in the front plate so that its shaft extends out of respective upper and lower surfaces of the three-dimensional body.   
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein when the plate is coupled to the three-dimensional body, the three-dimensional body and at least one of the screw holes in the front plate are configured and oriented such that one of the screws inserted into the angled screw hole pierces at least partially one of the upper or lower surfaces of the three-dimensional body. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the three dimensional body is formed of a non-metallic material. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the three dimensional body includes at least one through hole extending from the upper surface to the lower surface. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein at least one of the angled screw holes formed in the front plate is conically shaped. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein one of the upper and lower surfaces of the three-dimensional body is convex. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein at least one of the upper surface and the lower surface includes one of the group of grooves, ribs, teeth and roughened surface portion to improve anchoring of the three-dimensional body with the vertebrae.