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 self-drilling bone fusion screw apparatus is disclosed which includes at least first and second sliding boxes. A first screw member having a tapered end and a threaded body is disposed within the first sliding box, and a second screw member having a tapered end and a threaded body disposed within the second sliding box. An adjuster adjusts the height of the sliding boxes. The screw members are screwed into vertebral bodies in order to fuse the vertebral bodies together. A plurality of the self-drilling bone fusion screw apparatuses may be attached together and/or integrated via a plate or cage. Also disclosed is a cervical facet staple that includes a curved staple base and at least two prongs attached to the bottom surface of the curved staple base.

Tibial implants, instruments, systems, and methods of implanting a tibial tray during a knee arthroplasty. The inserter instrument may include a main body with a pair of fixed posterior tabs, a moveable anterior tab body with an anterior tab, and a rotatable shaft for controlling movement of the anterior tab body. When the shaft is rotated, the anterior tab body is translated into an expanded position to lock the inserter to the tibial tray, thereby providing precise positioning of the tibial tray during implantation.

Tibial implants, instruments, systems, and methods of implanting a tibial tray during a knee arthroplasty. The inserter instrument may include a main body with a pair of fixed posterior tabs, a moveable anterior tab body with an anterior tab, and a rotatable shaft for controlling movement of the anterior tab body. When the shaft is rotated, the anterior tab body is translated into an expanded position to lock the inserter to the tibial tray, thereby providing precise positioning of the tibial tray during implantation.

A method for treating a spine comprises the steps of: inserting a surgical instrument into a tissue cavity, the surgical instrument including an image guide oriented relative to a sensor to communicate a signal representative of a position of the surgical instrument relative to the tissue cavity; displaying a selected configuration with a distal end of the surgical instrument in the tissue cavity; tracking movement of the selected configuration in the tissue cavity with a tracking device that communicates with a processor to generate data for display of the movement; and determining a volume of the tissue cavity based on the data. Systems, spinal constructs, implants and surgical instruments are disclosed.

A spinal implant apparatus that is an expandable spacer including features to minimize or eliminate spacer cant or offset during and after completing the expansion process. The spacer includes a top component, a base component in engagement with the top component, and an expansion mechanism arranged to change the top component's position with respect to the base component. The mechanism for causing expansion may be a screw, a cam, a wedge or other form of distracting device. In one embodiment, the expandable spacer includes a base component with a set of towers and a top component with a set of corresponding silos, where the towers and silos are configured to minimize or eliminate tilt of the top component as it extends upwardly from the base component.

A surgical instrument includes a body having a proximal end and a distal end and defining a lumen extending from the proximal end to the distal end along an axis, the distal end configured to abut an implant, and an anchor rod disposable within the lumen of the body for contacting the implant to secure the implant at the distal end of the body. When the anchor rod is disposed within the lumen of the body in a working configuration, the anchor rod is connected to the body at the proximal end of the body and at the distal end of the body to substantially fix the anchor rod from moving along the axis of the lumen. The body includes a handle, a shaft extending distally from the handle, and a torque limiting mechanism.

The present invention provides a method for stabilizing a fractured bone. The method includes positioning an elongate rod in the medullary canal of the fractured bone and forming a passageway through the cortex of the bone. The passageway extends from the exterior surface of the bone to the medullary canal of the bone. The method also includes creating a bonding region on the elongate rod. The bonding region is generally aligned with the passageway of the cortex. Furthermore, the method includes positioning a fastener in the passageway of the cortex and on the bonding region of the elongate rod and thermally bonding the fastener to the bonding region of the elongate rod while the fastener is positioned in the passageway of the cortex.

An adjustable spinal fusion intervertebral implant including upper and lower body portions each having proximal and distal surfaces at proximal and distal ends thereof. The implant can include a proximal wedge member disposed at the proximal ends of the respective ones of the upper and lower body portions, and a distal wedge member disposed at the distal ends of the respective ones of the upper and lower body portions. First and second linkages can connect the upper and lower body portions. Rotation of an actuator shaft can cause the distal and proximal wedge members to be drawn together such that longitudinal movement of the distal wedge member against the distal surfaces and the longitudinal movement of the proximal wedge member against the proximal surfaces causes separation of the upper and lower body portions.

A system includes a tool assembly and an expandable spinal implant. The tool assembly includes a first tool and a second adjusting tool. The first tool has first and second engagement prongs positioned at a first distal end and the first tool defines an adjusting tool passage. The second adjusting tool can extend through the adjusting tool passage of the first tool. The expandable spinal implant includes a first expandable spinal implant structure, a second expandable spinal implant structure, and an adjusting screw having a screw head and a threaded portion. The expandable spinal implant defines first and second tool engagement indentations. The adjusting screw is positioned within the expandable spinal implant such that the second adjusting tool can extend through the adjusting tool passage to engage the screw head while the first and second engagement prongs are engaged with the first and second tool engagement indentations.