Iliac connector, connector head, spinal fixation system and method of stabilizing a spine

Abstract

An inventive iliac connector comprises a connector head ( 1 ) and a connecting rod ( 2 ) for connecting a sacrum (S) or a spine (SP) to an ilium (I). The connector head ( 1 ) has a first hole ( 15 ) for holding a spinal rod ( 3 ) and a second hole ( 16 ) for holding the connecting rod ( 2 ), wherein the connecting rod ( 2 ) is made of a material being more flexible than titanium. This iliac connector enables a stabilization of ilium, sacrum and spine and enables at the same time movement between ilium and sacrum.

1 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A spinal fixation system comprising
 a spinal rod,   at least one spinal bone screw,   at least one iliac bone screw and   an iliac connector,   the iliac connector comprising a connector head and a connecting rod for connecting a sacrum or a spine to an ilium,   the connector head having a first hole having a first central axis and receiving the spinal rod, the spinal rod penetrating the at least one spinal bone screw, and the connector head having a second hole having a second central axis and receiving the connecting rod, the connecting rod being held in the at least one iliac bone screw,   wherein the spinal rod and the connecting rod are made of a filament composite material, the material comprising a polymer matrix and the filaments being carbon filaments encapsuled in the polymer matrix, wherein at least a first group of the filaments are oriented in longitudinal direction of the rods, wherein the material is more flexible than titanium,   wherein the spinal rod extends in a first direction defined by the first central axis and the connecting rod extends in a second direction defined by the second central axis, wherein the first direction is different from the second direction and wherein the first direction and the second direction are at an angle to each other, and   wherein the system stabilizes spine and ilium thereby allowing some movement between ilium and sacrum.   
     
     
         24 . The spinal system according to  claim 23 , wherein the polymer matrix is polyether-ketoneetherketoneketone (PEKEKK) or polyetheretherketone (PEEK). 
     
     
         25 . The spinal system according to  claim 23 , wherein the spinal rod and the connecting rod have throughout their whole length a non-changing cross-section. 
     
     
         26 . The spinal system according to  claim 23  wherein the system stabilizes spine and ilium thereby allowing some movement between ilium and sacrum. 
     
     
         27 . The spinal fixation system according to  claim 23 , wherein the spinal rod and the connecting rod are made of the same material. 
     
     
         28 . The spinal system according to  claim 23  wherein the first central axis and the second central axis extend perpendicular to one another, wherein the first hole is in communication with the first fixation opening and the second hole is in communication with the second fixation opening and wherein the first and second fixation openings being arranged such they allow mounting of the spinal rod and the connecting rod independently from each other. 
     
     
         29 . The spinal fixation system of  claim 23  wherein the connector head further has a first fixation opening for holding a first fixation screw and a second fixation opening for holding a second fixation screw, the first fixation opening leading to the first hole in order to hold the spinal rod received in the first hole with the first fixation screw and the second fixation opening leading to the second hole in order to hold the connecting rod received in the second hole with the second fixation screw,
 wherein the first fixation opening has a third central axis extending perpendicular to the first central axis of the first hole and the second fixation opening has a fourth central axis extending perpendicular to the second central axis of the second hole. 
 
     
     
         30 . The spinal system of  claim 23 , wherein the fixation opening of the first hole is arranged at an angle different from 90° to the fixation opening of the second hole. 
     
     
         31 . The spinal system of  claim 30 , wherein the angle is between 70° to 30°. 
     
     
         32 . The spinal system of  claim 30 , wherein the angle is between 60° to 40°. 
     
     
         33 . The spinal system of  claim 30 , wherein the angle is about 60° or 45° or less than 45°. 
     
     
         34 . The spinal system of  claim 30 , wherein the angle is 0°. 
     
     
         35 . The spinal system of  claim 23 , wherein the connector head comprises two side walls, a rear wall, a front wall, a bottom and a top, wherein the first hole is arranged at least in one of the side walls, the second hole is arranged at least in the rear wall, the first fixation opening is arranged in the front wall and the second fixation opening is arranged in the top. 
     
     
         36 . The spinal system of  claim 35  wherein the front wall comprises at least one section which is inclined with respect to the rear wall and wherein the first fixation opening is arranged in the inclined section. 
     
     
         37 . The spinal system of  claim 35  wherein a transition area connects the rear wall and the bottom and wherein this transition area is rounded. 
     
     
         38 . The spinal system of  claim 23  wherein the first fixation opening is arranged in a first surface of the connector head and the second fixation opening is arranged in a second surface of the connector head, wherein the first surface extends in a plane parallel but at a distance to a plane defined by the second surface. 
     
     
         39 . The spinal system of  claim 23  wherein the connector head comprises a first body with a cube-like shape and a second body with a cube-like shape, the first body comprising the first hole and the first fixation opening and the second body comprising the second hole and the second fixation opening, wherein the first body is arranged staggered below the second body. 
     
     
         40 . The spinal system of  claim 23  wherein and least one of the first and the second hole is a through hole. 
     
     
         41 . The spinal fixation system of  claim 23  wherein the second axis is extending at an angle of 84° to the first central axis. 
     
     
         42 . The spinal fixation system of  claim 23  wherein the second axis is extending at an angle of 90° to the first central axis. 
     
     
         43 . The spinal fixation system of  claim 23  wherein the third central axis and the fourth central axis extend parallel to one other. 
     
     
         44 . A method for stabilizing a spine, the method comprising the steps of
 accessing the sacrum and iliac portions of the spine;   fixing a spinal rod with at least one spinal bone screw to at least one pedicle of the spine, the spinal rod having a first end;   fixing a connecting rod with a iliac bone screw to the iliac, the connecting rod having a second end and   fixing the first end of the spinal rod and the second end of the connecting rod relative to each other at an angle of about 90°, wherein the chronology of fixation of the first end the second end can be chosen by the surgeon.   
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44 , further comprising the step of fixing the spinal rod with at a sacral bone screw to the sacrum and providing a sacral-iliac connection between ilium and sacrum by fixing the first end of the spinal rod and the second end of the connecting rod relative to each other.