A surgical fastener provided with a curved cutter, an anterior wedge-like tip and a surgeon facing end. Among other things, the surgical fastener's cutter can cut bone or other tissue.

A method and system for performing bone fusion and/or securing one or more bones, such as adjacent vertebra, are disclosed. The screws include a threaded tip connected to a main shaft and a threaded outer sleeve that rotates relative to the outer shaft until locked down. Independent rotation of the threaded outer sleeve relative to the threaded distal tip allows compression or distraction to modify the gap between the vertebral bodies. The screws are passed from the inferior to superior vertebra or superior to inferior, for example, through a trans-pedicular route to avoid neurological compromise. At the same time, the path of screw insertion is oriented to reach superior or inferior vertebra. An intervertebral cage of the system is configured for lateral expansion from a nearly straight configuration to form a large footprint in the disc space. The screws and cage may be combined for improved fixation with minimal invasiveness.

A fastener configured for spinal applications includes a head having a channel adapted to receive a spinal rod and a shaft extending from the head to a distal tip and having a thread, at least a portion of the thread being serrated. The serrated portion of the thread includes peaks and troughs and can extend along about 35 percent of a length of the thread.

Disclosed is a positioning instrument that includes: two branches equipped at the proximal end thereof with an opposite jaw between which the graft is positioned, the two branches moving closer to one another by a translation movement; and a drill bush including a first hole and a second hole, separated by a distance and sized for the passage and guidance of a bone drill bit. Also disclosed are an instrument kit as well as a method for attaching a graft.

A compression screw for applying compression at a bone joint. The compression screw includes an axial screw body extending from a distal end to a proximal end with the distal end including a series of bone engaging threads configured to be self-drilling and self-tapping and the proximal end including a head which defines a radially extending shoulder. At least one proximal rotary cutting structure is defined proximally of the bone engaging threads. The at least one proximal rotary cutting structure is configured to be self-drilling such that a proximal portion of the axial screw body cuts into and advances within a bone of the bone joint as the axial screw body is advanced. A method of inserting the compression screw is also provided.

The disclosure relates to medical devices and methods of manufacturing medical devices. An orthopedic screw includes an inner core member having a head having a first outer diameter, a tip having a second outer diameter, and a body extending between the head and the tip and having a third outer diameter that is less than the first outer diameter and the second outer diameter. An outer body member is disposed circumferentially around the body of the inner core member and defines an outer body member external thread. The tip of the inner core member can define an inner core member external thread that forms an interrupted thread with the outer body member external thread.

A dual-start fastener is disclosed having two threads helically wound about its shaft. The thread tooth profile (in section) constitutes substantially parallel upper and lower facets on each thread flank. A first thread has a crest diameter greater than a second thread. A distal end of the fastener includes self-tapping cutters formed on the threads which force shards of bone to advance into shallow troughs adjacent the cutters for subsequent resorption by adjacent osseous tissue.

Reinforced biocomposite materials. According to at least some embodiments, medical implants are provided that incorporate novel structures, alignments, orientations and forms comprised of such reinforced bioabsorbable materials, as well as methods of treatment thereof.

A bone anchor includes a shank having a free end, a longitudinal axis, a channel extending axially through the shank to the free end, the channel having a first width, and at least one opening extending through a wall of the shank, and a narrowing member including an elastically deformable portion configured to extend into the channel at or near the free end. The narrowing member is adjustable from a first configuration where the deformable portion defines an opening with a width smaller than the first width to restrict a substance from exiting through the free end, to a second configuration where the deformable portion is deformed radially outwardly to define an opening with a width that is at least the first width, while at least a portion of the shank positioned at a same axial height as the deformable portion maintains a constant outer width.

A system for fastening soft tissue to bone includes a bone screw having a threaded shaft and a screw head having an underside with malleable protuberances that project toward a distal end of the threaded shaft. A fixation plate is coupled with the threaded shaft. The fixation plate has a proximal face that opposes the underside of the screw head, a distal face that faces away from the underside of the screw head, an outer peripheral edge that extends between the proximal and distal faces, a central opening for receiving the threaded shaft, and protrusions spaced from one another around the outer peripheral edge that extend distally beyond the distal face of the fixation plate. The system includes an insertion tool having a handle and a tubular shaft extending distally from the handle. The tubular shaft has a proximal shaft section having an inner diameter that closely matches an outer diameter of the screw head, and a distal shaft section having an inner surface with a groove that seats the outer peripheral edge of the fixation plate for releasable retaining the fixation plate within the distal shaft section.