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, for drawing first and second bone fragments together, includes a shaft having a distal section and a proximal section. The distal section has a first external male screw thread and a minor diameter. The proximal section has a second external male screw thread. A major diameter of the distal section is larger than a major diameter of the proximal section. The bone screw includes a sleeve that has an internal female screw thread configured to mate with the second male screw thread. A distal portion of the sleeve has an outer diameter. The outer diameter is equal to or smaller than the minor diameter of the distal section of the shaft.

The present invention relates to a system, method, device and kit which utilize a modular pedicle screw implant that does not require the use of a guide wire for implantation and can be assembled in situ. The system, method, device, and kit include a surgical instrument for implanting a modular pedicle screw comprising a cannula coaxially aligned with a modified trocar style instrument or surgical shaft. The surgical shaft contains a first member of a surgical shaft-inner pedicle bone screw member joint, illustrated herein as a locking taper, for securing an inner member of a pedicle screw thereto. The inner member of a pedicle screw is further adapted to couple to an outer pedicle sheath. In combination, the inner member of a pedicle screw and the outer pedicle sheath form a solid modular pedicle screw.

The disclosure describes systems and methods for altering bone sections in a patient. In one embodiment, a system may include an intramedullary implant including: a housing configured to be secured to a first section of bone, where the housing may include one or more shaft engaging grooves axially extending along an inner surface thereof; a distraction shaft configured to be secured to a second section of bone, where the distraction shaft may include one or more grooves axially extending along an inner surface thereof. The system may further include an actuator disposed within the housing and operably coupled to the distraction shaft, and in response to rotation of the actuator, the one or more grooves of the distraction shaft may engage with the one or more shaft engaging grooves of the housing, causing axial displacement of the distraction shaft relative to the housing.

A polyaxial screwdriver for inserting a bone screw in a vertebra. A polyaxial bone screw assembly includes a coupling element. When a screw engaging end of the polyaxial screwdriver is lowered on the head of the bone screw, the complimentary surfaces of the screw engaging end of the screwdriver and the head of the screw self-align. A ratchet mechanism formed in the screwdriver provides progressive and automatic locking of the polyaxial screwdriver to the coupling element and prevents the accidental unthreading from the coupling element. In another embodiment of the polyaxial screwdriver, a collet slides over the outside surface of the upper end of the coupling element and locks on to the coupling element. In yet another embodiment of a polyaxial screwdriver, the outer sleeve of the polyaxial screwdriver has a split end that securely engages the coupling element.

Methods of joint repair employing sutures and attached fixation devices are discussed. For example, a bone block graft procedure (e.g., Latarjet) is discussed which employs fixation devices to secure contact between graft surfaces of two bones. A suture construct, including a continuous suture loop routed through a first fastener, is secured to a first bone. Looped ends of the suture loop are passed through passageways formed in the two bones. The looped suture ends are further routed through a second fastener. The second fastener is mounted to the second bone and a sliding knot, formed in the looped suture ends, is advanced into contact with the second fastener. The suture is further tensioned using a tensioner device to secure the two bones together.

A bone fastener driver assembly with a bone fastener retention feature has an outer sleeve, a handle fixed to said outer sleeve and an inner shaft. The inner shaft has a distal end with a torque driving tip. The inner shaft is coupled to the handle and axially movable relative to the outer sleeve from a proximal disengaged position to a distal engaged position. The outer sleeve has a bone fastener retaining distal end configured to lock into an internal groove or undercut of a bone fastener screw head when the inner shaft is axially moved from the proximal disengaged position to the distal engaged position to lock the bone fastener to the driver and upon a return movement of the inner shaft to the proximal disengaged position to unlock and release the driver from the bone fastener screw head.

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.

In one aspect, a bone anchor assembly is provided having a bone anchor with a head, a resilient locking cap extending about a portion of the bone anchor head, and a cap drive member having a depending annular wall. In another form, a bone plate system is provided including a bone plate having an elongated throughbore and a resilient support member received therein. In another aspect, an insertion device is provided for manipulating and inserting a spinal device at or within a spinal joint. The insertion device is configured to actively pivot the implant about the implant gripping end of the device and to allow manipulation and release of the implant in any pivoted orientation from approximately 0 to 90 degrees.

In accordance to one aspect of the present disclosure, a driver for a bone screw is provided that includes an inner shaft and a distal drive head of the inner shaft. The drive head is configured to fit in a drive recess of a bone screw to form a mating connection therewith. The driver further includes at least one outer, resilient locking member shiftable along the inner shaft from a proximal, unlocked position to a distal, locked position. The resilient locking member has a locking portion that contacts and is urged outwardly by a proximal ramp surface of the drive head as the locking member shifts distally from the unlocked position to the locked position to secure the bone screw onto the drive head.