Intervertebral implant

Abstract

An intervertebral implant includes a three-dimensional body and a securing plate. The three-dimensional body includes a front surface and a rear surface. The three-dimensional body further includes a plurality of boreholes for accommodating fixation elements. The intervertebral implant also includes a front plate disposed at the front surface of the three-dimensional body and has a plurality of boreholes. A securing plate can be fastened to the front plate.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . An intervertebral implant configured to be inserted into an intervertebral space, the intervertebral implant comprising:
 a one-piece body defining a front body surface, a rear body surface opposite the front body surface along a longitudinal direction, a top surface and a bottom surface opposite the top surface in a vertical direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and first and second outer side surfaces that are opposite each other along a lateral direction that is perpendicular to each of the longitudinal direction and the vertical direction,   wherein the one-piece body further defines a horizontal middle plane that is oriented along the lateral and longitudinal directions between the upper side and the underside, the one-piece body further defines a vertical middle plane that is oriented along the vertical and longitudinal directions between the side surfaces, and the horizontal middle plane and the vertical middle plane intersect so as to define first and second upper quadrants and first and second lower quadrants,   wherein the one-piece body defines a first upper borehole at the first upper quadrant, a second upper borehole at the second upper quadrant, a first lower borehole at the first lower quadrant, and a second lower borehole at the second lower quadrant, such that each of the boreholes extends from a respective first opening in the front body surface to a respective second opening in the top surface, wherein all of the boreholes are circumferentially discontinuous, each of the upper boreholes is configured to receive a respective fixation element that attaches the implant to an upper vertebra, and each of the lower boreholes is configured to receive a respective fixation element that attaches the implant to a lower vertebra.   
     
     
         3 . The intervertebral implant of  claim 2 , wherein the first and second upper boreholes diverge from each other along the lateral direction as they extend rearwardly. 
     
     
         4 . The intervertebral implant of  claim 3 , wherein the first upper borehole and the first lower borehole diverge from each other along the vertical direction as they extend rearwardly. 
     
     
         5 . The intervertebral implant of  claim 4 , wherein the first and second lower boreholes diverge from each other along the lateral direction as they extend rearwardly. 
     
     
         6 . The intervertebral implant of  claim 5 , wherein the second upper borehole and the second lower borehole diverge from each other along the vertical direction as they extend rearwardly. 
     
     
         7 . The intervertebral implant of  claim 2 , wherein the upper boreholes and the lower boreholes diverge from each other along the vertical direction as they extend rearwardly. 
     
     
         8 . The intervertebral implant of  claim 2 , wherein the upper boreholes define a vertical angle with respect to the horizontal middle plane, and the vertical angle is in a range from 20 degrees to 60 degrees. 
     
     
         9 . The intervertebral implant of  claim 2 , wherein the upper boreholes define a lateral angle with respect to the vertical middle plane, and the lateral angle is in a range from 10 degrees to 45 degrees. 
     
     
         10 . The intervertebral implant of  claim 2 , further comprising a front plate that is configured to be secured to the implant, such that boreholes of the front plate are aligned with respective ones of the boreholes of the one-piece body. 
     
     
         11 . The intervertebral implant of  claim 10 , further comprising a securing plate configured to attach to the front plate so as to overlap each of the boreholes of the front plate. 
     
     
         12 . The intervertebral implant of  claim 11 , wherein the plate is inserted into vertically oriented grooves defined by the one-piece body. 
     
     
         13 . The intervertebral implant of  claim 12 , wherein the vertically oriented grooves are open to the top surface of the one-piece body. 
     
     
         14 . The intervertebral implant of  claim 13 , wherein the front plate and one-piece body are made from different materials. 
     
     
         15 . The intervertebral implant of  claim 2 , wherein the one-piece body defines a plurality of apertures that extend through the top surface toward the bottom surface along the vertical direction, wherein the apertures are spaced from each other along the lateral direction. 
     
     
         16 . The intervertebral implant of  claim 2 , wherein the one-piece body has a front height along the vertical direction from the bottom surface to the top surface at the front body surface, and a rear height along the vertical direction from the bottom surface to the top surface at the rear body surface, wherein the front height is greater than the rear height. 
     
     
         17 . The intervertebral implant of  claim 2 , wherein the one-piece body defines teeth that extend vertically away from each of the top surface and the bottom surface. 
     
     
         18 . A bone stabilizing system comprising:
 the intervertebral implant of  claim 2 ; and   a plurality of bone screws each configured to be driven through respective ones of the boreholes and into bone.   
     
     
         19 . The bone stabilizing system of  claim 18 , further comprising a front plate that is configured to be secured to the implant, such that boreholes of the front plate are aligned with respective ones of the boreholes of the one-piece body, and the bone screws are configured to be driven through both the boreholes of the front plate and the boreholes of the one-piece body. 
     
     
         20 . The bone stabilizing system of  claim 19 , further comprising a securing plate configured to attach to the front plate so as to overlap each of the boreholes of the front plate. 
     
     
         21 . The bone stabilizing system of  claim 20 , wherein the first opening is disposed in a recessed portion of the front body surface. and the front plate is spaced from the front body surface when the front plate is attached to the one-piece body.