Implant for correction of spinal deformity

Abstract

A device for correction of a spinal deformity includes an implant having a first end portion and an opposite second end portion, the first end portion being attachable to an extraspinal bone, the second end portion being attachable to a vertebra, the implant being configured for being adjusted without penetrating skin and thereby for adjusting a tension of the implant so as to impose a corrective displacement on the vertebra.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11 / 215,725, entitled “IMPLANT FOR CORRECTION OF SPINAL DEFORMITY”, filed Aug. 30, 2005, which is incorporated herein by reference. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11 / 215,725 is a non-provisional application based upon U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60 / 605,548, entitled “IMPLANT FOR CORRECTION OF SPINAL DEFORMITY”, filed Aug. 30, 2004, which is incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention generally relates to a device for treatment of spine disorders, and in particular to the utilization of an implant to impose a corrective displacement on a vertebra of a patient so as to incrementally correct abnormal spinal curvature(s) of the patient.[0004]2. Description of the Related Art[0005]Scoliosis is a spinal deformity that has an abnormal lateral curvature of the spine when viewed from a posterior pe...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The device allows for non-invasive, incremental correction of spinal deformities, reducing the risk of neurologic damage and fatigue failure, achieving permanent curvature correction without fusion, by distributing loads effectively and accommodating viscoelastic changes in the spine.

Problems solved by technology

It is believed that the surgery is arduous, invasive, and has an array of potential complications including excessive blood loss.

The discs above and below the fusion zone are in jeopardy of degeneration due to the increased biomechanical demands placed on them.

Also, flat back syndrome could be problematic if normal lordosis and kyphosis are not restored.

Recovery could be a lengthy and painful process.

Even a successful procedure rarely results in a normal spinal curvature and the patient is left with an immobile spinal section.

A flaw in the conventional implants for correction of the spinal curvature deformity is that the implants are usually of a part of the load path of the spinal column.

Spinal loads could be large, and the geometry of the implants used is such that they may not support such large loads indefinitely.

Fatigue failure of the implant occurs if fusion is delayed.

A further disadvantage of the conventional implants for correction of the spinal curvature deformity is the potential for neurologic damage.

Even after the surgery, the spinal loads could be large enough to cause nerve damages.

However, stiff instrumentation provides negligible additional correction even though resistive forces in the spine are decreasing.

Therefore, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the art to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.

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