JP2001299771A - Connecting implement for vertebral member - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To surely and quickly attach a connecting implement for a vertebral member without bending fingers to the insides of rod-like members. SOLUTION: This connecting implement is constituted in such a way that rod-like members putting-in groove sections 16 for attaching the rod-like members 10 for a vertebra from the outside are provided inside a coupler 15 and embracing sections 17 which hold the members 10 by embracing half or more cross sections of the members 10 by coming into contact with the peripheral surfaces of the members 10 in a state where the members 10 are put in the groove sections 16 are provided on one sides of the sections 16. On the other side of the coupler 15 opposite to the members 10 holding side, a female screw section 21 in which a male screw body 20 is screwed in for fixing the members 10 to the coupler 15 is provided and a tapered section 22 which tightens the members 10 to the internal surfaces of the groove sections 16 when a male screw body 20 is screwed in the female screw section 21 is provided on the screw body 20.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device having a crosswise connector for connecting a plurality of parallel spine rods supported by a bone screw implanted in a vertebral body. It is.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When correcting the arrangement of vertebral bodies or reconstructing the spine, a bone screw body called a pedicle or an implant or a screw is implanted in each vertebral body, and a member called a rod or the like is mounted on each screw body. An operation of attaching and fixing is performed. When there are a plurality of rod-shaped members in parallel, coupling is performed by a coupling device in a direction crossing both members,
For this purpose, a conventional device called a transverse rod coupler, for example, has a configuration in which a plurality of rod-shaped members are sandwiched between two inner and outer parts and screwed. Therefore, it is necessary to keep a finger on the inside of the rod-shaped member while attaching the inner part, which hinders the smooth progress of the operation.

A technique that does not employ a structure in which two parts are sandwiched between the inside and outside has been proposed, and for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-255759 is known. In this invention, a longitudinal member corresponding to a member called a rod is clamped to a hook portion of a connector member as a coupling device by a set screw. However, according to the invention, the clamping force of the set screw acts linearly on the hook portion via the rod-shaped member, and the set screw may eventually be loosened. The pair of connector members are connected by an elongated plate, and a horizontally long opening is provided in the plate for position adjustment, but the connector member and the plate must be held down to adjust the position and fasten with the set screw. It is considered unstable and the efficiency is not improved much.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned point, and an object of the present invention is to provide an inner (back side) of a rod-shaped member when a connecting device for a spine member is attached. An object of the present invention is to provide a device that enables reliable and quick surgery without the need to turn a finger or to press a part with a finger. Another object of the present invention is to prevent a loosening of the tightening by the male screw body at a time expected normally.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a rod-shaped member for fitting a spinal rod inside the connector so that the groove can be attached to the rod from the outside. A holding portion is provided on one side of the groove portion, in which the member is fitted in the groove portion and is in contact with the peripheral surface thereof and surrounds at least half of the cross section of the member. A means for screwing a male screw body for fixing the threaded member, and providing a taper portion on the male screw body for tightening the rod-shaped member between the female screw and the inner surface of the groove by screwing into the female screw. It is a thing.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A spinal member connecting device according to the present invention is a device for connecting a plurality of parallel rod-shaped members supported by a bone screw implanted in a vertebral body.
The rod-shaped member used for the spine correction application or the like is a rod-shaped member extending in the direction of the spine in the same manner as the rod-shaped member described above. This member is currently standard in a straight, bendable, solid form, and is therefore often referred to as a rod. But there is no reason to eliminate square pipes, for example.

This device has a connector in a direction crossing a plurality of rod-shaped members. The connector has means for connection with a plurality of parallel rod-shaped members.

[0008] As one of the coupling structures between the connector and the rod-shaped member, a groove for fitting the same is provided inside the connector so as to be attached to the rod-shaped member for the spine from the outside. When the rod-shaped member is fitted into the groove, a holding portion that contacts the peripheral surface of the member and surrounds at least half of the member cross section is provided on one side of the groove. When the tip of the holding portion surrounds at least half of the cross section of the member, a sufficient holding area is obtained. When the member is a rod having a circular cross section, the tip of the holding portion is positioned at the center of the circle. Since it extends beyond, it is effective in preventing the rod-shaped member from coming off.

On the other side of the rod-shaped member together with the holding portion, a female screw portion for screwing a male screw body for fixing the member to the connector is provided. The male screw body is screwed in from the outside of the connector to the inside, is exposed in the groove, and fixes the rod-shaped member between the holding portion and the tapered portion. Provided. The externally threaded body is screwed in a direction substantially perpendicular to the rod-shaped member, and presses the rod-shaped member against the inner surface of the groove by the lateral pressure converted by the slope of the tapered portion. The tapered portion is for tightening the rod-shaped member to the inner surface of the groove portion, and can be provided in a conical shape at the distal end portion of the male screw body.

[0010] Depending on the interval between the parallel members, it is possible to simultaneously tighten the two rod-shaped members by the tapered portion of one screw body (the example in Fig. 1). However, when the member spacing is large, each member is tightened by an individual screw body (the example in FIG. 6).

In the present invention, the tightening force of the screw does not act on the screw axis as in the case of the set screw of the invention shown as the prior art, but is converted to a laterally acting force by a gentle gradient of the tapered portion. There is a feature in the point. For this reason, the rod-shaped member can be tightened as if the wedge is driven by the gentle gradient of the tapered portion, and conversely, the reaction force from the rod-shaped member acts on the tapered portion, so that the male screw body is loosened. It can be said that it is not at all.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the illustrated embodiments. 1, 2 and 3, 4 and 5 show a first embodiment of the apparatus according to the present invention.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 denotes a so-called rod-shaped member, which is a vertebral body 1 of a spine 11.
Two are supported in parallel by the bone screw bodies 13 and 13 implanted in the second (see FIG. 8). Reference numeral 14 denotes a filling member that fills a defective portion of the vertebral body 12.

In order to attach the connector 15 to the member 10, two groove portions 16 for fitting members are provided inside the connector 15 in parallel. The grooves 16, 16 are provided in a direction substantially parallel to the short side of the plate surface of the plate-like connector 15, and have lateral sides in contact with the peripheral surface of the rod-shaped member 10 fitted in the groove 16, and A holding portion 17 surrounding at least half is provided. Since the holding portion 17 extends so as to hold the rod-shaped member 10, it can be prevented from coming off.

The left and right substantially parallel grooves 16, 16 are separated by a central ridge 18. Both sides of the ridge 18 have a tapered slope 19 facing each groove 16,
0 is easily fitted (see FIG. 4). The slope 19 and the end of the holding portion are directed toward the center.

For screwing the male screw body 20 which is located on the opposite side of the holding portion 17 with the rod-shaped member 10 interposed therebetween, the female screw portion 21 is provided at the center of the connector 15 at the spine. It is provided so as to penetrate the portion 18. In the case of the first embodiment, since the groove 16 is formed of only parallel surfaces, the groove 16 can be in contact with the rod-shaped member 10 over the entire area. The male screw body 20 has a tapered portion 22 having a required gradient around a truncated cone.

In the case of the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the parallel rod-shaped members 10, 1
The connector 15 is approached from the outside with respect to 0, and first, one member 10 is fitted into one groove 16 (FIG. 4, left). Next, the other member 1 is passed between the holding portion 17 and the inclination 19.
0 is fitted into the groove 16 (FIG. 4, right). At this time, both members 10 and 10 can be temporarily bent in the approaching direction. After fitting of the rod-shaped member 10 to each groove portion 16,
The screw body 20 is screwed into the female screw portion 21. As the screw is inserted, the tapered portion 22 at the tip of the male screw body 20 pushes the rod-shaped members 10, 10 left and right and presses the holding portions 17, 17. (Fig. 5).

Next, a second embodiment of the apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. Example 2 shows two rod-shaped members 1
Example 2 differs from Example 1 in that two male threads 20 are used for 0 and 10.

The connector 25 in the second embodiment is arranged at a more distant interval in accordance with the interval between the rod-shaped members 10, 10.
The grooves 26, 26 are provided. That is, the spine ridge 28 is formed wider by the distance, and the two female screw parts 2 are formed so as to penetrate the boundaries between the grooves 26, 26 and the spine ridge 28.
The third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that three and 23 are formed.

The tapered portion 24 is formed on the inner surface of both ends of the groove portion 26, thereby forming a corner portion 31 that can bite into the surface of the rod-shaped member 10 (see FIG. 7B). The two corners 31, 31 extend from the inside of the groove 26 to the holding portion 28, and a seating surface between the two corners 31, 31, Example 1
In the same manner as the inner surface of the groove 16 in FIG. Other configurations may be the same as in the first embodiment.

In the case of the second embodiment, the rod-shaped members 10, 1
0, the groove portions 26, 26 are fitted into the taper portions 29, 29.
And the holding portions 27, 27. Next, the screw body 20 is screwed into each of the female screw portions 23, 23, and the rod-shaped members 10, 10 are pressed into the groove portions 26, 26 with a pressing force corresponding to the gradient of the tapered portion 29. At that time, in the second embodiment, the pressing force is concentrated between the corners 31, 31, and the rod-shaped members 10, 10 are tightened with the inner surface of the groove in a state where the rods 10, 10 are bitten.

In handling the device of the present invention in this manner, a plurality of parallel rod-shaped members 10, 10 supported by a bone screw body 13 implanted in a vertebral body 12 can be operated only from outside. Can do all the work. Although the rod-shaped member 10 has been described as a typical example of a rod-shaped member, any conceivable member can be used, and the shape of the grooves 16 and 26 can be changed according to the form.

[0023]

Since the present invention is constructed and operates as described above, a finger is turned inside the rod-shaped member when attaching the connecting device for the rod-shaped member used for spinal correction. There is no need to hold the other part,
According to the present invention, the operation can be performed reliably and quickly, and the member is tightened by the tapered portion of the male screw body.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a spinal member connecting device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG.

FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view of a connector. (B) A bottom view of the connector.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing a state before being attached to a rod-shaped member.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing a state in which a connector is being attached to a rod-shaped member.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory cross-sectional view showing a state in which attachment is completed.

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional view of a connector. (B) A bottom view of the connector.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory side view showing an anterior spinal column reconstruction as an application example of the device of the present invention.

Claims (2)

[Claims] An apparatus having a crosswise connector for connecting a plurality of parallel spinal correction rod-shaped members attached to a vertebral body, the device being attached to the rod-shaped member from the outside. As described above, a groove portion for fitting the same member is provided inside the connector, and a holding portion surrounding at least half of the cross section of the member in contact with the peripheral surface of the rod-shaped member in a state where the rod-shaped member is fitted into the groove portion is provided on one side of the groove portion. The other side of the rod-shaped member is provided with a female screw portion for screwing a male screw body fixing the same member to the connector, and the rod-shaped member is inserted between the female screw portion and the inner surface of the groove portion. A connecting device for a spine member, wherein a tapered portion for tightening is provided on a male screw body. 2. When the arrangement interval of the rod-shaped members is close to each other, two grooves are provided in parallel on one surface of the connector, and one female thread is provided on a spine ridge separating both grooves. 2. The spinal member connecting device according to claim 1, wherein the two rod-shaped members are simultaneously tightened by a tapered portion of one male screw body formed and screwed into the female screw portion.