Percutaneous rod inserter

Abstract

A spinal stabilization system, method, and a surgical kit having a surgical extender apparatus for implanting a surgical screw are disclosed. The extender includes a housing having a distal end and a proximal end, a hollow interior passageway disposed between the distal end and the proximal end, a channel disposed along an exterior surface of the housing at least partially between the distal end and the proximal end and configured to at least partially expose the hollow interior passageway, an interior locking mechanism disposed on an interior surface of the housing and substantially adjacent the proximal end, wherein the interior locking mechanism is configured to allow attachment of at least one surgical tool, and at least one flexible member disposed substantially adjacent the distal end. The housing is configured to accommodate placement of a surgical screw implant. The surgical screw implant is secured to the housing a mating feature in the surgical screw implant. The at least one flexible member is configured to retain the surgical screw implant. The mating feature is configured to control axial movement of the surgical screw implant.

1 - 7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . A rod inserter tool for use with a hollow screw extender housing configured to be coupled to a screw assembly implanted into vertebrae, the tool comprising:
 a handle coupled to a curved shaft at a proximal end of the curved shaft;   the shaft includes a static shaft portion configured to be permanently coupled to the handle;   a sliding shaft portion configured to be slidably coupled inside the handle and further configured to slide along the static shaft portion;   a rod holding mechanism formed by the static shaft portion and a sliding shaft portion and configured to be disposed at a distal end of the curved shaft;   wherein by translating the sliding shaft portion along the static shaft portion toward the distal end of the shaft, the rod holding mechanism is configured to secure a rod.   
     
     
         9 . The rod inserter tool according to  claim 8 , wherein the handle includes a threading mechanism configured to control translational movement of the sliding shaft portion. 
     
     
         10 . The rod inserter tool according to  claim 9 , wherein the handle includes a control knob coupled to the threading mechanism,
 wherein rotation of the control knob in one direction is configured to translate the sliding shaft portion toward the distal end of the shaft and secure the rod in the rod holding mechanism, and   rotation of the control knob in another direction is configured to translate the sliding shaft portion away from the distal end of the shaft and release the rod from the rod holding mechanism.   
     
     
         11 . The rod inserter tool according to  claim 8 , wherein the rod holding mechanism includes at least one mating feature disposed on at least one of the static shaft portion and the sliding shaft portion for mating with at least one mating feature on the rod. 
     
     
         12 . The rod inserter tool according to  claim 8 , wherein the rod holding mechanism is configured to hold the rod at a predetermined angle with respect to the shaft. 
     
     
         13 . The rod inserter tool according to  claim 8 , wherein the static shaft portion is configured to include a groove and the sliding shaft portion is configured to include a corresponding protrusion configured to translate inside the groove of the static shaft portion to prevent excessive translation of the sliding shaft portion. 
     
     
         14 . The rod inserter tool according to  claim 8 , wherein the sliding shaft portion is configured to slide inside the static shaft portion. 
     
     
         15 . The rod inserter tool according to  claim 14 , wherein the rod holding mechanism includes a static lip portion coupled to the static shaft portion and a pivoting lip portion coupled to the sliding shaft portion, wherein translational movement of the sliding shaft portion is configured to rotate the pivoting lip portion with respect to the static lip portion. 
     
     
         16 . The rod inserter tool according to  claim 15 , wherein at least one of the static lip portion and the pivoting lip portion includes at least one mating feature configured to interact with at least one corresponding mating feature disposed on the rod to further secure the rod in the rod holding mechanism. 
     
     
         17 . The rod inserter tool according to  claim 8 , wherein the rod inserter tool is configured to insert the rod through the screw extender housing and toward the corresponding screw assembly. 
     
     
         18 . A method of inserting a rod using a rod inserter tool in combination with a hollow screw extender housing configured to be coupled to a screw assembly implanted into vertebrae,
 wherein the tool includes
 a handle coupled to a curved shaft at a proximal end of the curved shaft; 
 the shaft includes a static shaft portion configured to be permanently coupled to the handle; 
 a sliding shaft portion configured to be slidably coupled inside the handle and further configured to slide along the static shaft portion; 
 a rod holding mechanism formed by the static shaft portion and a sliding shaft portion and configured to be disposed at a distal end of the curved shaft; 
 wherein by translating the sliding shaft portion along the static shaft portion toward the distal end of the shaft, the rod holding mechanism is configured to secure a rod; 
   the method comprising:
 securing the rod in the rod holding mechanism; 
 advancing the secured rod using the rod inserter tool through the screw extender housing and toward the corresponding screw assembly. 
   
     
     
         19 - 37 . (canceled) 
     
     
         38 . A instrument for grasping an end of a spinal rod and percutaneous insertion of the spinal rod, comprising:
 a curved shaft including an interior portion extending from a proximal end to a distal end;   an immovable lip on the distal end;   a pivoting lip rotatably coupled to the distal end opposite the immovable lip;   a slidable rod disposed within the interior portion and coupled a proximal portion of the pivoting lip at a first end; and   a threaded mechanism within a portion of the proximal end rotatably engaged with a second end of the slidable rod that translates the slidable rod within the interior portion to position the pivoting lip relative to the immovable lip.   
     
     
         39 . The instrument of  claim 38 , wherein the immovable lip includes a male feature that engages a corresponding female feature of the spinal rod. 
     
     
         40 . The instrument of  claim 38 , wherein the immovable lip and the pivoting lip hold the spinal rod at a predetermine angle with respect to the curved shaft. 
     
     
         41 . The instrument of  claim 38 , wherein the curved shaft includes a groove and the slidable rod includes a corresponding protrusion configured to translate inside the groove to prevent excessive translation of the sliding rod.