An expandable device for expanding and supporting body tissue comprises an inferior endplate having an outer surface configured to contact one body tissue surface and a superior endplate having an outer surface configured to contact an opposing body tissue surface. The inferior endplate and the superior endplate are movable relative to each other in a direction of expansion. The device includes an elevator captively supported between the inferior endplate and the superior endplate for independent movement along the direction of expansion. In the first direction the elevator is moved toward said superior endplate to lift the superior endplate and expand the device. In the second direction the elevator moves away from said superior endplate toward said inferior endplate to create a space for insertion of an insert into the expanded device.

Spinal interbody cages are provided that include a bulk interbody cage, a top face, a bottom face, a top mesh structure, a bottom mesh structure, pillars, and slots. The top and bottom faces are exterior surfaces of the bulk interbody cage having a top central opening and a bottom central opening, respectively. The top and bottom mesh structures extend from the bulk interbody cage across the top central opening and the bottom central opening, respectively. The pillars are for contacting vertebral bodies. The slots are to be occupied by bone of the vertebral bodies and/or by bone of a bone graft. The spinal interbody cage has a Young's modulus of elasticity of at least 3 GPa, and has a ratio of the sum of (i) the volumes of the slots to (ii) the sum of the volumes of the pillars and the volumes of the slots of 0.40:1 to 0.90:1.

A spinal implant is provided including an upper surface, a lower surface, a front surface and a back surface, two side surfaces extending between the upper surface and the lower surface, the two side surfaces extending between the front surface and the back surface and an opening positioned closer to the back surface than the front surface. The opening is provided to contain graft material that spans between a cortical rim of the upper vertebral body and the cortical rim of the lower vertebral body. The method includes packing the opening with graft material, wherein the graft, material spans between the decorticated cortical rim of the upper vertebral body and the decorticated cortical rim of the lower vertebral body.

A spinal implant is provided including an upper surface, a lower surface, a front surface and a back surface, two side surfaces extending between the upper surface and the lower surface, the two side surfaces extending between the front surface and the back surface and an opening positioned closer to the back surface than the front surface. The opening is provided to contain graft material that spans between a cortical rim of the upper vertebral body and the cortical rim of the lower vertebral body. The method includes packing the opening with graft material, wherein the graft material spans between the decorticated cortical rim of the upper vertebral body and the decorticated cortical rim of the lower vertebral body.

Multi-hooded enarthrodial joint implant has a ceramic articulating cup including a ceramic head-receiving cup having an articular surface upon which a head of a joint can articulate, and which, in general, has a margin generally about a hemisphere more or less and at least two hoods that are marginally extended continuations of superior one-half or so of cup containment of a sufficient magnitude to reduce an overall dimension of socket outlet to less than a hemisphere, which can embrace and contain the head. The head is made of ceramic and has a truncated generally circular cross section, a truncated surface with a feature for attachment of the stem, and an opposing articular surface for articulation against the articular surface of the ceramic head-receiving cup. As an ensemble, the cup is combined with the head, typically with a stem, for a total joint implant.

Disclosed are devices for the fixation and support of vertebrae, particularly spinal implant devices having adjustability in size, shape and/or configuration.

An elongate inserter has a distal end releasably connected to an expandable device for expanding body tissue and a proximal end including a trigger actuator. The expandable device comprises a superior endplate and an inferior endplate that are movable in an expansion direction relative to each other between opposing tissue surfaces of a body. The inserter includes a lifting platform comprising ramp surfaces that upon operation of the trigger actuator cooperatively engage complementary surfaces of expansion structure within the device to cause the superior and inferior endplates to move relatively away from each other. A driver is supported by the inserter for pushing an insert between the superior and inferior endplates after expansion of the device.

Disclosed are devices for the fixation and support of vertebrae, particularly spinal implant devices supporting and/or securing removed vertebral bodies of the spine.

The process for producing an orthopedic implant having an integrated silicon nitride surface layer includes steps for positioning the orthopedic implant inside a vacuum chamber, mixing nitrogen gas and vaporized silicon atoms in the vacuum chamber, emitting a relatively high energy beam into the mixture of nitrogen gas and vaporized silicon atoms in the vacuum chamber to cause a gas-phase reaction between the nitrogen gas and the vaporized silicon atoms to form reacted precipitate silicon nitride molecules, and driving the precipitate silicon nitride molecules with the same beam into an outer surface of the orthopedic implant at a relatively high energy such that the precipitate silicon nitride molecules implant therein and form at least a part of the molecular structure of the outer surface of the orthopedic implant, thereby forming the integrated silicon nitride surface layer.

The process for producing an orthopedic implant having an integrated silicon nitride surface layer includes steps for positioning the orthopedic implant inside a vacuum chamber, mixing nitrogen gas and vaporized silicon atoms in the vacuum chamber, emitting a relatively high energy beam into the mixture of nitrogen gas and vaporized silicon atoms in the vacuum chamber to cause a gas-phase reaction between the nitrogen gas and the vaporized silicon atoms to form reacted precipitate silicon nitride molecules, and driving the precipitate silicon nitride molecules with the same beam into an outer surface of the orthopedic implant at a relatively high energy such that the precipitate silicon nitride molecules implant therein and form at least a part of the molecular structure of the outer surface of the orthopedic implant, thereby forming the integrated silicon nitride surface layer.