Spinal tissue distraction devices that include a member which has a pre-deployed configuration for insertion between tissue layers and a deployed configuration in which the member, by change of configuration, forms a support structure for separating and supporting layers of spinal tissue.

A flexible hip joint stem includes a shoulder body connecting piece, a flexible stem body, a stem tail, and a center regulating rod. The flexible stem body includes an inner-layer cylinder and an outer-layer cylinder. The inner-layer cylinder and the outer-layer cylinder are both composed of spiral springs, where the spring wire width of the spiral springs is basically equal to the screw pitch. The regulating rod passes through the shoulder body connecting piece and the flexible stem body, and is fixed with the stem tail by screwing the threads, which allows the inner-layer cylinder and the outer-layer cylinder to produce a certain degree of elastic deformation, limits the range of the elastic deformation, and enables the flexible hip joint stem to have sufficient supporting strength as a whole.

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.

Methods, apparatuses, systems, and implementations for inductive heating of a foreign metallic implant are disclosed. A foreign metallic implant may be heated via AMF pulses to ensure that the surface of the foreign metallic implant heats in a uniform manner. As the surface temperature of the foreign metallic implant rises, acoustic signatures may be detected by acoustic sensors that may indicate that tissue may be heating to an undesirable level approaching a boiling point. Once these acoustic signatures are detected, the AMF pulses may be shut off for a time period to allow the surface temperature of the implant to cool before applying additional AMF pulses. In this manner, the surface temperature of a foreign metallic implant may be uniformly heated to a temperature adequate to treat bacterial biofilm buildup on the surface of the foreign metallic implant without damaging surrounding tissue. The AMF pulse treatment can be combined with an antibacterial/antimicrobial treatment regimen to reduce the time and/or antibacterial dosage amount needed to remove the biofilm from the metallic implant.

An implant and method for fusing adjacent spinal vertebrae is disclosed. In an embodiment for a spinal implant of the present invention, the implant includes a spacer body assembly and two retention members. The two retention members each include split fork tangs wherein the tangs of each retention member are simultaneously extendable from the spacer body assembly into the adjacent vertebra. A method of fusing adjacent vertebrae includes the step of inserting an implant between adjacent vertebrae with retention members. The method also includes the step of configuring the retention members wherein a portion of each tang of a retention member simultaneously extends from the implant into one of the adjacent vertebra.

Methods, apparatuses, systems, and implementations for inductive heating of a foreign metallic implant are disclosed. A foreign metallic implant may be heated via AMF pulses to ensure that the surface of the foreign metallic implant heats in a uniform manner. As the surface temperature of the foreign metallic implant rises, acoustic signatures may be detected by acoustic sensors that may indicate that tissue may be heating to an undesirable level approaching a boiling point. Once these acoustic signatures are detected, the AMF pulses may be shut off for a time period to allow the surface temperature of the implant to cool before applying additional AMF pulses. In this manner, the surface temperature of a foreign metallic implant may be uniformly heated to a temperature adequate to treat bacterial biofilm buildup on the surface of the foreign metallic implant without damaging surrounding tissue. The AMF pulse treatment can be combined with an antibacterial/antimicrobial treatment regimen to reduce the time and/or antibacterial dosage amount needed to remove the biofilm from the metallic implant.

An implant may include a body having a first portion and a second portion and a structural member having a central member curve. In addition, the structural member may be exposed on an outer surface of the implant. Further, the central member curve may include a winding segment, and the winding segment of the central member curve may wind around a fixed path extending from the first portion of the body to the second portion of the body. Also, the central member curve may make one or more full turns around the fixed path. And, the structural member may have a member diameter at the winding segment, wherein the winding segment has a winding diameter corresponding with the full turn around the fixed path and the member diameter is greater than the winding diameter.

An implant and method for fusing adjacent spinal vertebrae is disclosed. In an embodiment for a spinal implant of the present invention, the implant includes a spacer body assembly and two retention members. The two retention members each include split fork tangs wherein the tangs of each retention member are simultaneously extendable from the spacer body assembly into the adjacent vertebra. A method of fusing adjacent vertebrae includes the step of inserting an implant between adjacent vertebrae with retention members. The method also includes the step of configuring the retention members wherein a portion of each tang of a retention member simultaneously extends from the implant into one of the adjacent vertebra.

A bone graft containment device includes a body formed via one or more helical structures extending about a longitudinal axis of the body from a first end to a second end to define a channel extending longitudinally therethrough. The channel is configured to receive a bone graft or bone graft substitute material therein, the one or more helical structures formed of a material permitting the body to be one of expanded, compressed and curved to fill a target space of a target bone.

A stent is disclosed that has an elongated body composed of a bioabsorbable polymer having a proximal end, a distal end, two open spiral channels formed on the exterior surface of the body to provide fluid communication between the proximal end and the distal end. The stent also has a central lumen open at the proximal and distal ends of the stent for the passage of a guide wire. A method for using the stent and a kit containing the stent are also disclosed.