An expandable interbody spacer for the spine is provided. The interbody spacer includes a housing, a top endplate and a bottom endplate. An actuator is located inside the housing between the top and bottom endplates. A locking screw is configured to drive the actuator and move the endplates between collapsed and expanded configurations. Variations of the expandable spacer are provided in which the endplates move bilaterally outwardly into uniform and parallel expansion along the latitudinal axis, the endplates angulate about a pivot point along a longitudinal axis such that the distal end of the spacer increases in height relative to the proximal end, and the endplates angulate about a pivot along a lateral axis such that the height along one lateral side of the spacer increases in height relative to the other lateral side.

A total artificial expansile disc and a method for posterior insertion between a pair of vertebral endplates are disclosed. The total artificial expansile disc includes at least one pair of substantially parallel plates that move apart along a first axis, in order to occupy a space defined by the vertebral endplates. In another embodiment, each of substantially parallel plates includes a first plate and a second sliding plate. An expansion device or tool is used to move the substantially parallel pair of plates apart along the first axis. A core is disposed between the pair of plates, and the core permits the vertebral endplates to move relative to one another. A ball limiter or ball extender prevents the core from being extruded from between the substantially parallel plates.

A system and method for forming a medical implant using a printing device. The printing device includes a print head having a heated nozzle, a heated build plate for receiving the printed material thereon, and a reflective plate having an active heater. A method for forming a medical device includes extruding a printing material by contiguous deposition to form a porous object having a lattice-like structure. The medical device, such as a spinal implant, may have interconnected pores and different regions, each having a different porosity for encouraging bone growth therein. The printed medical implant may be designed to be patient-specific, customized, and printed on-demand.

A two-part joint replacement device for replacing damaged soft joint tissue, such as a meniscus or cartilage tissue. In one form, the device may include a free floating soft joint tissue replacement component comprising a first tissue-interface surface shaped to engage a first anatomical (bone and/or cartilage) structure of a joint having damaged soft tissue. The device may also include a free floating rigid base component comprising a second tissue-interface surface shaped to engage a second anatomical (bone and/or cartilage) structure of the joint. The free floating soft joint tissue replacement component may be shaped to slidably interface with the rigid base component. In another form, the free floating soft joint tissue replacement component and the rigid base component are fixed together.

A semi-condylar artificial knee joint includes a femoral prosthesis and a tibial prosthesis, and the cross-section of the tibial prosthesis is of a kidney-like type. The tibial prosthesis is disposed at one side of the tibial plateau intercondylar eminence and is located below the femoral prosthesis. The artificial knee joint further includes a locating pin for fixing the tibial prosthesis. The bottom surface of the tibial prosthesis is provided with a prosthetic notch, and below the tibial prosthesis is provided with a tibial notch. The prosthetic notch corresponds to the tibial notch, and together forming a limiting hole for accommodating the locating pin. The cooperation between the locating pin and the limiting hole can ensure relative position stability and balance between the tibial prosthesis and the tibial plateau intercondylar eminence.

A placeholder for vertebrae or vertebral discs includes a tubular body, which along its jacket surface has a plurality of breakthroughs or openings for over-growth with adjacent tissue. The placeholder includes at least a second tubular body provided with a plurality of breakthroughs and openings at least partially inside the first tubular body. The first and second tubular bodies can have different cross-sectional shapes, can be are arranged inside one another by press fit or force fit or can be connected to each other via connecting pins and arranged side by side to one another in the first body.

Interbody spinal implants comprise internal sidewalls having a roughened surface topography. The internal sidewalls may be those that surround a substantially hollow implant center, including the sidewalls of a vertical aperture and sidewalls of a transverse aperture. The roughened surface topography comprises macro, micro, and nano features that comprise an amplitude, a peak to valley height, and spacing.

A place holder for spinal surgery including an upper and lower support having an upper and lower support face which each have a first and a second partial area contacting one another at an edge in a closed state, and an expansion device, by which the lateral extent of the support faces and their vertical distance from one another are variable and the place holder is adjustable between a closed state and an expanded state. A first and the second partial area of the upper and lower support face have mutually engaging structures at the edge where they contact one another in the closed state. The expansion device is designed such that the modification to the lateral extent and to the vertical distance is implemented by operation of a single drive in two mutually independent and freely definable movement profiles coded in the place holder.

An expandable spinal implant includes a distal projection extending from only one side of the implant, ending in an anterior tip, the anterior portion and anterior tip defining an elongated distal end hook, which is wider than the proximal end. The distal end hook rotates around the spinal cord, aligning the implant with a desired pathway, then inserts into place in the disc space between the vertebrae. The elongated widened distal end hook provides a TLIF approach, distributes loads, provides anterior rim engagement, and creates lordosis.

A lumbar interbody fusion device includes a first wing, a second wing, and a bridge. The bridge has an arcuate resting shape and include a first end connected to the first wing, a second end connected to the second wing, and at least one aperture extending through the bridge in a radial direction relative to the arcuate resting shape of the bridge. The bridge is elastically deformable such that a distance between the first wing and the second wing may vary according to elastic deformation of the bridge.