A method for implanting an intrafacet implant includes making an incision, advancing an instrument assembly through the incision and to a facet joint. The instrument assembly includes a guide having a lumen extending therethrough. The method includes anchoring the guide at the facet joint, advancing an intrafacet implant to the facet joint through the guide using an inserter, and countersinking the intrafacet implant within the facet joint using the inserter.

A bone screw includes a screw body having a head at one end of the screw and a tip at an opposite end of the screw; head threads directly attached to the screw body and continuous around the head of the screw; tip threads directly attached to the screw body and continuous around the tip of the screw; and overhanging thread portions between the head threads and the tip threads, the overhanging thread portions spaced apart, with unthreaded channels between the overhanging thread portions and the overhanging thread portions overhanging a portion of the unthreaded channels.

A threaded implant can be provided with an elongated main body having external threads configured to thread into bone, and an internal support structure located within the external threads. The internal support structure has a helical arrangement that extends in an opposite direction to the external threads. Other threaded implants and methods are also disclosed.

A bone screw, and method of using the same, are described. The bone screw includes a head, a distal threaded portion, and an expandable intermediate portion. The intermediate portion is expandable in response to a force being applied from an unstressed or relaxed state to a stressed or unrelaxed state. A removable core pin may be inserted into the intermediate portion to stretch or stress and/or stabilize the intermediate portion.

An implant for the stabilization of bones or vertebrae is provided, the implant being a solid body including a longitudinal axis that defines a longitudinal direction and including a flexible section that has a surface and has a length in the longitudinal direction, the flexible section including at least one cavity located near the surface and having a width in the longitudinal direction that is smaller than the length of the flexible section, the at least one cavity being connected to the surface through at least one slit, and a width of the slit in the longitudinal direction being smaller than the width of the cavity.

A sacroiliac joint screw has a screw body having a head and a treaded shank with a self-drilling cutting tip. The screw body is cannulated and configured to receive a Steinmann pin for the purpose of a minimally invasive approach (MIS) for delivery to the sacroiliac joint (SI) while minimizing soft tissue damage. The self-drilling cutting tip creates a pilot hole. The threaded shank has a plurality of spiral cutting flutes, the spiral cutting flutes extend along a length of the threaded shank and are configured to provide a constant self-tapping feature. A plurality of bone harvesting windows are positioned in the spiral cutting flutes and are configured to pull in bone as the screw is advanced into the joint.

Threaded sacro-iliac joint stabilization (e.g., fusion, fixation) implants and methods of implantation and manufacture. Some implants include a threaded distal region, an optionally threaded central region, and an optionally threaded proximal region. The distal, central, and proximal regions have lengths such that when the implant is laterally implanted across a SI joint, the distal region can be positioned in a sacrum, the central region can be positioned across an SI-joint, and the proximal region can be positioned in an ilium.

A bone screw fixation system includes a bone screw body having a screw head at one end of the screw and a screw tip at an opposite end of the screw, the screw head having an internal complex geometric shaped drive and internal threads within the screw head; and a screw inserter compatible with the screw head and having a complex geometric shaped drive configured to matingly engage the internal complex geometric shaped drive of the screw head and a threaded tip configured to thread into the internal threads of the screw head.

A bone screw and method of using the same for immobilizing a joint, the bone screw including a screw head, an elongate shaft having a threaded outer wall and a helically-shaped slot extending through the outer wall and longitudinally along the shaft. The slot extends longitudinally along a middle section of the threaded outer wall, terminating short of the proximal and distal ends of the shaft, or the slot extends through the distal end and/or to the proximal end of the shaft immediately adjacent to the screw head. The slot includes a cutting edge that is arranged to engage bone when the screw advances therethrough for cutting away a portion of the bone. A reservoir is located within the elongate shaft for collecting bone that is cut away or removed by the cutting edge.

An apparatus for use in placing an implant into a patient is disclosed. The apparatus features an outer assembly having an outer shaft with an expandable driving member at its distal end and an inner canulated shaft that fits within and cooperates with the outer shaft to affect the driving member. The inner shaft includes an actuation knob attached to the proximal end of the inner shaft. A locking or driving thread is included on the outer surface of the inner shaft, proximal to the adjustment knob. The outer shaft includes a housing with the threaded interior such that when the inner shaft is mounted within the outer shaft, the driving thread operates with the threaded interior of the housing to allow for the inner shaft to be advanced along the inside of the outer shaft as the knob is turned. The tip of the inner shaft interacts with the interior of the driving member to expand the driving member.