A method of replacing a nucleus pulposus material wherein curable nucleus pulposus material is injected into a balloon in an intervertebral space

The present invention relates to a method of treating a hip joint of a human patient, the hip joint comprising an acetabulum, the acetabulum being a part of the pelvic bone, and a caput femur, the caput femur being the proximal part of the femoral bone, said method comprising the steps of: cutting the skin of the human patient, dissecting an area of the pelvic bone on the opposite side from the acetabulum, creating a hole in said dissected area, said hole passing through the pelvic bone and into the hip joint of the human patient, and performing an action in the hip joint, through said hole in the pelvic bone.

A surgical implant, which in use, provides a barrier between layers of tissue such that tissue on one side of the implant does not adhere to tissue on the other side, the improvement comprising that the implant is made of suitably anatomically shaped surgically acceptable sheet material.

A facet fusion tube assembly includes an elongated tube that defines a working channel to accept tools, instruments or materials for conducting a facet fusion. The tube includes a clip on its outer circumference that is configured to engage the outer surface of an adjacent tool or instrument used to access and engage the pedicle. A centering cap can be mounted at the proximal end of the elongated tube to align and center a working tool, such as a burring tool. An inner removable rod can extend through the tube to prevent soft tissue migration into the tube during insertion, and can be used for bone graft packing once the facet joint or other area of the spine is prepared for fusion. In use, the tube is clipped onto an adjacent instrument or tool to anchor the facet fusion tube assembly in a proper orientation relative to the facet joint.

Intervertebral spacer implants with dynamic load spreading features responsive to external loads and having attachment mechanisms. The dynamic load spreading features having a native state and a loaded state, which complements vertebral end plate geometry and disperses load to the epiphyseal rim.

Intervertebral spacer implants with dynamic load spreading features responsive to external loads and having attachment mechanisms. The dynamic load spreading features having a native state and a loaded state, which complements vertebral end plate geometry and disperses load to the epiphyseal rim.

Intervertebral spacer implants with dynamic load spreading features responsive to external loads and having attachment mechanisms. The dynamic load spreading features having a native state and a loaded state, which complements vertebral end plate geometry and disperses load to the epiphyseal rim.

A device and a method of treatment for osteoarthritis of a joint, such as the hip. The implant is an extensible cap that is placed over the femoral head.

A nuclear disc implant includes an inner fillable enclosure and an outer fillable enclosure. After insertion into a enucleated disc cavity, the inner enclosure is filled with a fluid and the outer fillable enclosure is filled with a curable material. The curable material is allowed to cure and the fluid is removed from the inner enclosure to leave an inner enclosure surrounded by an cured outer enclosure. A reinforcing band may be provided around the nuclear disc implant. An inflation tool to fill the nuclear disc implant is provided.

An implantable, autonomously growing medical device is disclosed. The device may have an outer, braided outer element that holds an inner core. Degradation and/or softening of the inner core permits the outer element to elongate, allowing the device to grow with surrounding tissue. The growth profile of the medical device can be controlled by altering the shape/material/cure conditions of the inner core, as well as the geometry of the outer element.