Operations performed in surgery of the spine may concern the cervical region (neck), the thoracic region or, more frequently, the lumbar region.
When there is an instability, for example sliding of one vertebra relative to the adjacent vertebrae, an operation for stabilizing the spinal column may entail implanting metal material in the form of screws connected to each other by bars or plates. These implants form scaffolding that acts as a stabilizer for the spinal column.
In more recent techniques, the stabilization of the column can be obtained by means of an intervertebral implant composed of a stabilizing wedge, a flexible link in the form of a textile braid, a movable assembly and a locking member. The stabilizing wedge is intended to be positioned between the spinous processes of two consecutive vertebrae, that is to say adjacent vertebrae, that are to be stabilized. The flexible link (for example a textile braid) encloses the spinous processes. The movable assembly is adapted to come into engagement with the stabilizing wedge in such a way as to immobilize the flexible link with respect to the stabilizing wedge. This blocking is achieved by clamping the flexible link between the movable assembly and the stabilizing wedge. The locking member (for example a screw) is adapted to lock the engagement of the movable assembly with the stabilizing wedge, and thus the final blocking of the flexible link, which results directly from this.