Spinal implants configured for tissue sparing angle of insertion and related methods

Abstract

Spinal implants that are configured for a minimally invasive approach to a patient's intervertebral disc space, optimized to avoid blood vessels and nervous tissue, maximizing endplate coverage and promoting sagittal balance, are provided. Insertion and fixation can be accomplished through a narrow access window, thereby allowing better access to more spinal levels while being less invasive than other approaches. The spinal implants may facilitate fusion, and include visualization features to assist in the implantation and verify proper placement and vary segmental angle of lordosis. Methods of implanting the spinal implants to treat a patient's spine are also disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A spinal implant comprising:
 a body having an upper surface, a lower surface and a central opening extending through the upper and lower surfaces;   an intermediate wall segment on the body having two or more apertures for receiving a fixation element; and   a pair of sidewalls extending from the intermediate wall segment and converging with each other, the pair of sidewalls including one sidewall that is longer than the other sidewall.   
     
     
         2 . The implant of  claim 1 , wherein the pair of sidewalls converge with each other at a rounded or tapered tip that is laterally offset from a center of the intermediate wall segment relative to a longitudinal axis of the body. 
     
     
         3 . The implant of  claim 2 , wherein the body is configured for insertion along a trajectory represented by an axis that is oblique relative to a midline of a vertebral body of a patient's spine, wherein the axis substantially extends from a center portion of the intermediate wall segment to the tip of the body. 
     
     
         4 . The implant of  claim 1 , wherein the upper and lower surfaces extend along planes that are angled relative to one another to form a generally wedged shape. 
     
     
         5 . The implant of  claim 1 , wherein the body comprises a posterior portion and an anterior portion, the anterior portion having a greater height than the posterior portion in a direction substantially perpendicular to the upper and lower surfaces. 
     
     
         6 . The implant of  claim 1 , wherein the body comprises only three sidewalls, and the intermediate wall segment and the pair of sidewalls form said three sidewalls. 
     
     
         7 . The implant of  claim 1 , wherein the sidewalls intersect the immediate wall segment at rounded postero-lateral corners. 
     
     
         8 . The implant of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the two sidewalls is curved. 
     
     
         9 . The implant of  claim 8 , wherein at least one of the two sidewalls has a convex curve. 
     
     
         10 . The implant of  claim 3 , wherein the apertures are angled relative to the intermediate wall segment to allow the fixation elements to converge on the oblique trajectory. 
     
     
         11 . A spinal implant comprising:
 a body having an upper surface, a lower surface and a central opening extending through the upper and lower surfaces;   an intermediate wall segment on the body having two or more apertures for receiving a fixation element; and   a pair of sidewalls being connected by the intermediate wall segment and converging with each other at a tip portion that is laterally offset from a center of the intermediate wall segment relative to a longitudinal axis of the body.   
     
     
         12 . The implant of  claim 11 , wherein the pair of sidewalls converge with each other at a rounded nose. 
     
     
         13 . The implant of  claim 11 , wherein the body comprises only three sidewalls, and the intermediate wall segment and the pair of sidewalls form said three sidewalls. 
     
     
         14 . The implant of  claim 13 , wherein one sidewall is longer than the other sidewall. 
     
     
         15 . The implant of  claim 11 , wherein the body is configured for insertion along a trajectory represented by an axis that is oblique relative to a midline of a vertebral body of a patient's spine, the axis extending substantially from a center portion of the intermediate wall segment to the tip portion of the body. 
     
     
         16 . The implant of  claim 11 , wherein the upper and lower surfaces extend along planes that are angled relative to one another to form a generally wedged shape. 
     
     
         17 . The implant of  claim 11 , wherein the body comprises a posterior portion and an anterior portion, the anterior portion having a greater height than the posterior portion in a direction substantially perpendicular to the upper and lower surfaces. 
     
     
         18 . The implant of  claim 11 , wherein the apertures are angled relative to the intermediate wall segment to allow the fixation elements to converge on the oblique trajectory. 
     
     
         19 . The implant of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of the two sidewalls is curved. 
     
     
         20 . The implant of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of the two sidewalls has a convex curve.