[54] PROSTHETIC VERTEBRAL IMPLANT [75] Inventor: Helmut Schonhoffer, Ulm, Germany [73] Assignee: Heinrich Ulrich, Ulm/Donau, Germany
[21] Appl. No.: 497,948
[22] Filed: Jul. 3, 1995
[30] Foreign Application Priority Data
Jul. 2, 1994 [DE] Germany 44 23 257.8
[51] Int. CI.6 A61F2/44
[52] U.S. CI 623/17; 606/61; 606/63
[58] Field of Search 623/17; 606/61,
606/63, 90; 411/383, 384, 437
[56] References Cited
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
4,401,112 11/1985 Rezaian 606/61
4,553,273 8/1985 Wu 606/61
4,657,550 4/1987 Daher 623/17
A spinal implant for engagement in a space left by ablation of a vertebral body between a pair of adjacent vertebrae has a tubular center element extending along an axis and a pair of end elements. The center element is formed with upper and lower screwthreads of opposite hand and with a plurality of radially throughgoing apertures. The upper and lower tubular end elements are each formed with a plurality of radially throughgoing apertures, each have a circular-section inner end threaded onto a respective one of the screwthreads, and each have an outer end adapted to bear on a respective one of the adjacent vertebrae.
18 Claims, 3 Drawing Sheets
