Provided is an artificial spinal disc including an upper disc formed in a plate shape with top coupled to an upper vertebra, a protruding joint portion protruding from a lower surface of the upper disc, and a lower disc formed in a plate shape with bottom coupled to a lower vertebra wherein the protruding joint portion is seated on an upper surface of the lower disc. According to the foregoing description, the artificial disc is implanted through the lateral or anterolateral approach to the spine, rather than the anterior approach, and such lateral implantation is straightforward.

A compression fastener may include a shaft and a helical thread disposed about the shaft. The shaft may include a proximal end, a distal end, a proximal shaft portion, and a distal shaft portion. The helical thread may include at least one concave undercut surface and a plurality of pitches that may include at least one first pitch along the proximal shaft portion and at least one second pitch along the distal shaft portion. The at least one concave undercut surface may be angled towards one of the proximal end and the distal end of the shaft, and the at least one first pitch and the at least one second pitch may not be equal to each other.

The disclosure provides an intervertebral disc and related methods. An upper plate includes an upper vertebra contacting portion and a lower bearing surface portion. The upper vertebra contacting portion includes a convex central portion, and a fin or anchoring element with a transverse hole therethrough. A lower plate has a lower vertebra contacting surface and an upper bearing surface. The lower vertebra contacting surface of the lower plate has a convex central portion. The upper bearing surface has a concavity disposed opposite the convex central portion and wherein the convex central portion and the concavity have nesting curvatures. A core positioned between the upper and lower plates has rigid upper and lower convex surfaces configured to slide and translate over the bearing surfaces of the upper and lower plates.

A prosthesis suited for orthopedic implantation possesses a multi-piece stem component that supports an artificial joint surface that can articulate with another artificial joint surface in various ways. The prosthesis can be assembled in a snap fit and/or interlocking fashion that provides positive locking means without the use of screws or other fasteners. The prosthesis can accommodate fitment of a plastic joint surface made, e.g., from ultra high molecular weight polyethylene. The prosthesis is well suited for use in an ankle replacement system that can be installed using minimally invasive intramedullary guidance established with respect to the major axis of the tibia by minimally invasive access through the calcaneus, through an incision in the bottom of the foot. The prosthesis makes possible the installation of a total ankle system using minimally invasive anterior access to the ankle joint for making bony cuts and to install prosthesis components.

An implant stabilizes two adjacent bones of a joint, while enabling a natural kinematic relative movement of the bones. Support components are connected to each bone of the joint, and a flexible core is interposed between them. The core and at least one of the support components are provided with a smooth sliding surface upon which the core and support component may slide relative to each other, enabling a corresponding movement of the bones. The surfaces may have a mating curvature, to mimic a natural movement of the joint. The core is resilient, and may bend or compress, enabling the bones to move towards each other, and or to bend relative to each other.

An intervertebral implant includes opposing upper and lower endplates that are configured to engage respective vertebral surfaces in an intervertebral space. The implant carries a plurality of bone fixation spikes that extend out from each endplate. The spikes define a plurality of outer surfaces that extend from a base to a tip. The spikes are laterally staggered, and have a height that increases along a longitudinal direction from the front toward the rear of the implant, and a define recess formed in at least one outer surfaces.

An apparatus and method for joining members together using a self-drilling screw apparatus or stapling apparatus are disclosed. The screw apparatus includes a worm drive screw, a spur gear and superior and inferior screws which turn simultaneously in a bi-directional manner. A rotating mechanism drives the first and second screw members in opposite directions and causes the screw members to embed themselves in the members to be joined. The screw apparatus can be used to join members such as bones, portions of the spinal column, vertebral bodies, wood, building materials, metals, masonry, or plastics. A device employing two screws (two-in-one) can be combined with a capping horizontal mini-plate. A device employing three screws can be combined in enclosures (three-in-one). The stapling apparatus includes grip handles, transmission linkages, a drive rod a fulcrum and a cylinder. The staple has superior and inferior segments with serrated interfaces, a teethed unidirectional locking mechanism and four facet piercing elements. The staples can be also be used to join members such as bones, portions of the spinal column, or vertebral bodies.

Bone implants, including methods of use and assembly. The bone implants, which are optionally composite implants, generally include a distal anchoring region and a growth region that is proximal to the distal anchoring region. The distal anchoring region can have one or more distal surface features that adapt the distal anchoring region for anchoring into iliac bone. The growth region can have one or more growth features that adapt the growth region to facilitate at least one of bony on-growth, in-growth, or through-growth. The implants may be positioned along a posterior sacral alar-iliac (“SAI”) trajectory. The implants may be coupled to one or more bone stabilizing constructs, such as rod elements thereof.

A hemi-arthroplasty bone joint implant has a first part (120) with a stem (111) tor intramedullary implanting into a metacarpal, mid a second part (110) to engage the trapezium is a translational manner, a hemi-arthroplasty articulating coupling (121). This allows multi-axial motion with translational movement of the second part over the trapezium and rotation of the first part (110) about the articulating coupling (121, 103). There is also a converter to convert the implant to a total arthroplasty implant in situ during revision surgery. The second part (110) and the hemi-arthroplasty coupling (100, 123, 121) are removable in situ during revision surgery. The first part (120) has an engagement threaded socket (117) for, after removal of the second part and the hemi-arthroplasty coupling, engaging the replacement coupling (200) and allowing mutual articulation of the first (120) and replacement parts (220). This forms a total arthroplasty joint implant.

An artificial joint is characterized by: having a first member including a caput part on which a prescribed curved surface is formed, and a second member including a fossa part having a surface which abuts the prescribed curved surface of the caput part; the second member being rotatable in a flexing direction of a joint with a prescribed point on the caput part being the center of rotation; and the prescribed curved surface of the caput part being defined by a curve which depicts a convex arc toward the side abutting the fossa part when the caput part is viewed from the axial direction of the rotation, and in which, when two arbitrary points are taken on the curve, the radius of curvature of the point positioned further toward the flexing side of the joint on the curve is smaller than the radius of curvature of the other point.