A bone screw, and method of using the same, are described. The bone screw includes a head, a distal threaded portion, and an expandable intermediate portion. The intermediate portion is expandable in response to a force being applied from an unstressed or relaxed state to a stressed or unrelaxed state. A removable core pin may be inserted into the intermediate portion to stretch or stress and/or stabilize the intermediate portion.

A device for expanding spacing between spinous processes includes a first supporter, a second supporter and a pin. The first supporter includes a first protrusion, a second protrusion opposing the first protrusion, and a first concave portion formed between the first protrusion and the second protrusion for supporting one spinous process. The second supporter includes a third protrusion, a fourth protrusion opposing the third protrusion, and a second concave portion formed between the third protrusion and the fourth protrusion for supporting another spinous process. The pin pivots the first supporter to the second supporter so as to provide the device an expansion state and a close state for removal and installation between two spinous processes. In addition, a method for expanding spacing between spinous processes is also provided.

A compression device made of a superelastic material having a peripheral portion with an upper surface, a lower surface, and a central opening extending therethrough is provided. Tips of one or more resilient structures of the compression device project inward of the peripheral portion and form an opening. The one or more resilient structures are configured to exert a biasing force in a direction when deformed in an opposite direction. Also provided is a bone plate assembly comprising a captively retained compression device and a bone plate comprising one or more integrally formed resilient structures.

A method and apparatus for changing a configuration of a bone. The method includes the steps of: fixing a first part of a bone plate to the bone at a first location; securing a guide assembly in an operative position in relationship to the bone; engaging a bone part moving assembly with the bone at a second bone location spaced from the first bone location; cutting the bone to define first and second bone sections and so that the bone part moving assembly engages the second bone section and the first bone location is on the first bone section; relatively repositioning the first and second bone sections into a desired relationship and thereby causing a part of the bone part moving assembly to move guidingly, together with the second bone section, in a controlled path; and fixing the first and second bone sections in the desired relationship. The first and second bone sections can be controllably relatively moved lengthwise of the bone plate without requiring guided movement of any component that extends through the bone plate and into the bone.

An implant device includes a connection bridge to cause retraction or distraction of first and second bone segments. The connection bridge overlaps a surface of the segments and exerts a force to one of the first and second bone segments by translation motion of connection bridge. The bridge includes a first insertion structure mountable to the first segment and has at least one rack. An internal repositioning tool has a pinion to engage the rack causing the motion. A locking mechanism selectively locks the motion of the repositioning tool. A second insertion structure mounts to the second segment or a third bone segment between the first and second segments. The second structure includes a housing to house at least one of the pinion and the lock mechanism and receive a portion of the at least one rack to engage the at least one the pinion and the lock mechanism.

A plating system includes a bone plate including an aperture. A locking member is receivable in the aperture to attach the bone plate to a joint. The plating system includes a guide including a body having a first end portion, a second end portion, an attachment portion attached to the bone plate, and a rotating portion including a sleeve to receive a drill or a guide wire. The first end portion of the body is rotationally connected to the attachment portion to pivot the body about a first axis to move the sleeve, and the rotating portion is rotationally connected to the second end portion of the body of the guide to pivot the rotating portion about a second axis to move the sleeve. The rotating portion translates along the second axis to move the sleeve, and the sleeve defines one of a plurality of trajectories.

A system for evaluating the evolution of a subject's bone structure, including an implantable medical device and a calculation module for computing a parameter representative of the bone structure. The implantable medical device has a distraction body and reflector(s). The distraction body distracts osteotomically separated bone section bodies and includes first/second blocks for implantation and attachment to first/second bone sections, the second bone section separated from the first bone section by an osteotomy, and an actuator for adjusting space between the first/second blocks, enabling distraction between the first/second bone sections. Each reflector reflects an electromagnetic signal and is embedded in a surrounding tissue when the distraction body is attached to the bone. The parameter is computed from the reflected signal, of an excitation signal including a frequency in the characteristic frequency range of each reflector, the reflected signal being representative of a dielectric constant of the surrounding tissue.

An orthopedic bone tap is provided, including a rod comprising a proximal end, a medial portion, and a distal end. The orthopedic bone tap also includes a plurality of cutting threads on the distal end of the rod. The orthopedic bone tap also includes an axial compression member engaged with at least one of the proximal end and the medial portion of the rod. The axial compression member is adapted and configured to exert compression that draws a bone fragment engaged with the plurality of cutting threads distally and against another bone fragment.

A compression device made of a superelastic material having a peripheral portion with an upper surface, a lower surface, and a central opening extending therethrough is provided. One or more resilient teeth project inward of the peripheral portion into the central opening and are configured to exert a biasing force in an axial direction when deformed in a direction opposite the axial direction.

In order to provide an external corrective appliance that corrects spinal deformity through operation from outside of the body during implementation of correction and fusion of the spinal deformity using a spinal deformity correction and fusion system to improve correction force, to easily attain the correction intended by an operator, and to eliminate complexity of correction and fusion surgery implemented using the spinal deformity correction and fusion system, thereby reducing burden on the patient, the external corrective appliance includes: shaft members removably attached to corresponding right and left screw members in a pair fixed to the one vertebra, and extending toward the outside of the body of the patient; and a lateral arm member coupled to the shaft members in a pair outside the body of the patient.