The embodiments provide various interbody fusion spacers, or cages, for insertion between adjacent vertebrae. The cages may have integrated ratchet assemblies that allow the cage to change size and angle as needed, with little effort. The cages may have a first, insertion configuration characterized by a reduced size to facilitate insertion through a narrow access passage and into the intervertebral space. The cages may be inserted in a first, reduced size and then expanded to a second, larger size once implanted. In their second configuration, the cages are able to maintain the proper disc height and stabilize the spine by restoring sagittal balance and alignment. Additionally, the intervertebral cages are configured to be able to adjust the angle of lordosis, and can accommodate larger lordotic angles in their second, expanded configuration. Further, these cages may promote fusion to further enhance spine stability by immobilizing the adjacent vertebral bodies.

A method of treating a hip joint of a human patient using a pelvic drill comprising a driving member, a bone contacting and an operating device for operating said driving member. The method comprise 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 using said pelvic drill, said hole passing through the pelvic bone and into the hip joint of the human patient, and providing at least one hip joint surface to the hip joint, through said hole in the pelvic bone of the human patient. In one embodiment the method includes inserting a needle or tube like instrument into the patient's body for filling a part of the patient's body with gas and thereby expanding a cavity within the body.

Methods of selecting and implanting prosthetic devices for use as a replacement meniscus are disclosed. The selection methods include a pre-implantation selection method and a during-implantation selection method. The pre-implantation selection method includes a direct geometrical matching process, a correlation parameters-based matching process, and a finite element-based matching process. The implant identified by the pre-implantation selection method is then confirmed to be a suitable implant in the during-implantation selection method. Methods of implanting meniscus prosthetic devices are also disclosed.

A method of treating a hip joint of a human patient using a pelvic drill comprising a driving member, a bone contacting and an operating device for operating said driving member. The method comprise the steps of creating a hole passing through the pelvic bone and into the hip joint of the human patient, and providing at least one hip joint surface to the hip joint, through said hole in the pelvic bone of the human patient. In one embodiment the method includes inserting a needle or tube like instrument into the patient's body for filling a part of the patient's body with gas and thereby expanding a cavity within the body.

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.

The present invention is for a systematic process of creating patient specific implants by matching target mechanical properties (e.g. elastic modulus of bone) based on a patient's CT scan images. The present invention creates a metamodel that matches the elastic modulus values of lattice scaffolds to desired values by using a homogenization approach to determine the characteristics of the lattice structure at the unit-cell level. This eliminates the computational cost associated with optimizing the lattice structures and works at structural level.

The present invention includes the following featured steps to adjust a mechanical property (e.g., the elastic modulus) of the implant: 1) specifying a region requiring the implant operation from the CT scan images of the affected part, 2) determining the implant shape to be inserted into the specified region from the previous step, 3) dividing the implant shape into multiple partitioned three-dimensional regions, 4) assigning target elastic modulus values (Et) for each of the partitioned three-dimensional regions according to the bone density information obtained from the CT scan images, 5) selecting a specific type of unit-cell of lattice scaffolds with respect to the implant shape, 6) selecting a specific implant material, which has the elastic modulus of Eo, and 7) determining the required strut diameter and density of each unit-cell of the lattice scaffolds to minimize the error between the target elastic modulus (Et) and the homogenized elastic modulus (Eh), which is calculated from the implant material's elastic modulus value (Eo) obtained from the selected three-dimensional regions.

The present invention creates patient specific surgical implants with precisely designed lattice scaffolds. The implants are designed for long term use because the stress shielding effect can be reduced by matching the elastic modulus of the implant to the elastic modulus of the bone of the affected area. Therefore, the present invention can significantly reduce the side effect of the implant and prevent reoperations.

An implant configured to completely replace degenerated or damaged nucleus pulposus in an intervertebral disc. The implant comprises a silicone elastomer shell that is implanted into a void within the annulus fibrosus created by at least partial removal of the nucleus pulposus therefrom. A colloidal suspension of platinum cured silicone-based polymer and carbon nanotubes is injected into the elastomer shell. The colloidal suspension is irradiated with electromagnetic radiation, particularly infrared or near infrared light, to the point that it hardens. The hardened implant becomes a mechanical replacement for the original nucleus pulposus in the intervertebral disc.

A surgical instrument for operating hip joint osteoarthritis in a human patient is provided. The hip joint comprises an acetabulum, being a part of the pelvic bone, and a caput femur, being the proximal part of the femoral bone. The surgical instrument is adapted to assist in the operating of the hip joint osteoarthritis from the abdominal side of the pelvic bone of said human patient.

The three-dimensional lattice structures disclosed herein have applications including use in medical implants. Some examples of the lattice structure are structural in that they can be used to provide structural support or mechanical spacing. In some examples, the lattice can be configured as a scaffold to support bone or tissue growth. Some examples can use a repeating modified rhombic dodecahedron or radial dodeca-rhombus unit cell. The lattice structures are also capable of providing a lattice structure with anisotropic properties to better suit the lattice for its intended purpose.

A medical product, preferably for use in the treatment, more particularly in the filling up and/or closure, of a bone cavity, the product having structural elements connected to one another, the structural elements being dividable at least into two groups of structural elements, namely at least into a first group of structural elements and into a second group of structural elements, the structural elements of the first group having a lower hardness than the structural elements of the second group. Furthermore, a method for producing the medical product and a medical kit.