Dilation introducer for orthopedic surgery

Abstract

The dilation introducer has a locked assembled configuration for placement of the dilation introducer against a patient's tissue to be treated, and an unlocked, collapsed configuration for dilating the patient's soft tissue down to tissue to be treated. Dilator tubes are successively released and advanced to progressively expand the patient's soft tissue down to the bone tissue to be treated. The dilator tubes and a guide insert may include spikes for engaging bone tissue. The dilation introducer may include a light emitter disposed in a dilator tube. A telescoping expander sleeve is also provided.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 10 / 911,215, filed Aug. 3, 2004.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] This invention relates to bone fixation devices, and more particularly relates to a dilation introducer for introducing a bone fixation device for orthopedic surgery, such as for vertebral fusion. [0004] 2. General Background and State of the Art [0005] Fusion of two adjacent vertebrae is a common surgical treatment for back injuries due to damage or defects in a spinal disc between two adjacent vertebrae, such as conditions due to a herniated disc or disc degeneration. The entire disc may be removed by a discectomy procedure, and may be replaced with bone or a bone substitute and / or cage in order to prevent collapse of the disc space between the adjacent vertebrae. Early techniques for stabilizing the adjacent vertebrae included application of a plate or a rod in conjunction with screws across t...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007] Briefly, and in general terms, the invention provides for a telescoping dilation introducer for orthopedic surgery, the dilation introducer having a locked assembled configuration for initial placement of the dilation introducer against a patient's tissue to be treated, and an unlocked, collapsed configuration for dilating the patient's soft surrounding tissue to a desired degree of dilation to permit minimally invasive surgical procedures on the patient's tissue. As the telescoping dilation introducer is inserted, each individual dilator tube is successively released and advanced to progressively expand the patient's soft tissue down to the tissue to be treated. In a particularly useful aspect of the invention, the tissue to be treated is bone tissue which must be prepared prior to attachment of adjacent bone section in a fusion process. While there are many applications of the dilation introducer of the invention, the invention is particularly applicable to fusion of bones in orthopedic surgery using minimally invasive technique, and will be described herein in particular applications of those procedures. The invention also concerns a minimally invasive procedure utilizing the telescoping dilation introducer to insert a bone fixation device into a patient's spine for posterior spine fusion. While posterior spine fusion currently takes up to two hours to complete, and requires a six inch incision, with the apparatus and method of the invention, comparable surgery can be completed in less than thirty minutes, with a dilation port 13 mm or less in diameter, thus lowering the chance of damage to the surrounding soft tissue.

[0018] In a presently preferred aspect, the distal tips of the two or more active spreader arms have beveled edges to deflect soft tissue during insertion of the telescoping expander sleeve, and the distal tips of the two or more passive spreader flaps have beveled edges to deflect soft tissue during insertion of the telescoping expander sleeve. The purpose of the active spreader arms and passive spreader flaps is to facilitate the creating of a larger working area adjacent to bone or bone tissues being treated. The spreader arms and flaps may optionally be covered by an expandable material, such as latex, for example, to prevent tissues from being pressed into cavities of the telescoping expander sleeve.

Problems solved by technology

In either type of procedure, there is substantial trauma to the surrounding tissue if a large incision is required.

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