TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to medical devices for the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders, and more particularly to a surgical system that includes an expandable spinal implant, systems for implanting an expandable spinal implant, and a method for treating a spine.

BACKGROUND

Spinal disorders such as degenerative disc disease, disc herniation, osteoporosis, spondylolisthesis, stenosis, scoliosis and other curvature abnormalities, kyphosis, tumor, and fracture may result from factors including trauma, disease and degenerative conditions caused by injury and aging. Spinal disorders typically result in symptoms including pain, nerve damage, and partial or complete loss of mobility.

Non-surgical treatments, such as medication, rehabilitation and exercise can be effective, however, may fail to relieve the symptoms associated with these disorders. Surgical treatment of these spinal disorders includes fusion, fixation, correction, discectomy, laminectomy and implantable prosthetics. As part of these surgical treatments, spinal constructs, such as, for example, bone fasteners, spinal rods and interbody devices can be used to provide stability to a treated region. For example, during surgical treatment, interbody devices may be introduced to a space between adjacent vertebral bodies (the interbody space) to properly space the vertebral bodies and provide a receptacle for bone growth promoting materials.

More recently, interbody devices have been introduced that provide additional capability beyond static spacing of the vertebral bodies. For example, some devices have expansion capability such that the implant may be introduced to the interbody space in a collapsed state and then expanded to produce additional spacing and, in some cases, introduce or restore curvature to the spine by expanding selectively on only one end or portion of the implant. However, many existing expandable interbody designs utilize internal mechanisms that may inhibit the introduction of bone growth promoting material into the interbody implant by a surgeon after the implant is expanded. The present disclosure seeks to address this and other shortcomings in the existing art.

SUMMARY

In one embodiment, an expandable spinal implant is provided. The implant includes a frame comprising a proximal wall and a distal wall, wherein the proximal wall defines a proximal aperture and the distal wall defines a distal aperture. The implant also includes a plug movably disposed in the distal aperture of the frame and an endplate operably engaged with the frame and configured to expand outward from the frame when the plug is moved in a distal direction relative to the frame.

In one alternative embodiment a system is provided including an expandable spinal implant and an insertion instrument. The insertion instrument comprises a cannulated outer shaft and a driver shaft removably and rotatably disposed within the cannulated outer shaft. The expandable spinal implant comprises a frame with a proximal wall and a distal wall, wherein the proximal wall defines a proximal aperture and the distal wall defines a distal aperture. The proximal wall of the frame is configured to receive a distal end of the cannulated outer shaft for manipulating the expandable spinal implant. The expandable spinal implant also comprises a movable plug disposed in the distal aperture of the frame, wherein the plug comprises an interface configured to be operably engaged by a distal end of the driver shaft to move the plug relative to the frame. The expandable spinal implant also comprises an endplate engaged with the frame and configured to move relative to the frame when the plug is moved by the driver shaft of the insertion instrument. The driver shaft is also configured to be removable from the cannulated outer shaft of the insertion instrument such that after the plug has been moved distally relative to the frame, a bone growth promoting material may be introduced into the frame through the cannulated outer shaft of the insertion instrument. In some embodiments, various other implants, systems and methods are disclosed.

