A selectively expanding spine cage has a minimized cross section in its unexpanded state that is smaller than the diameter of the neuroforamen through which it passes in the distracted spine. The cage conformably engages between the endplates of the adjacent vertebrae to effectively distract the anterior disc space, stabilize the motion segments and eliminate pathologic spine motion. Expanding selectively (anteriorly, along the vertical axis of the spine) rather than uniformly, the cage height increases and holds the vertebrae with fixation forces greater than adjacent bone and soft tissue failure forces in natural lordosis. Stability is thus achieved immediately, enabling patient function by eliminating painful motion. The cage shape intends to rest proximate to the anterior column cortices securing the desired spread and fixation, allowing for bone graft in, around, and through the implant for arthrodesis whereas for arthroplasty it fixes to endpoints but cushions the spine naturally.

An expandable intervertebral total disc replacement implant, including an inferior component, including a first core including a first outer surface and a first inner surface, and a first plurality of arms telescopingly engaged with the first core, a superior component, including a second core including a second outer surface and a second inner surface, and a second plurality of arms telescopingly engaged with the second core, and an expansion mechanism connected to the first inner surface and the second inner surface, the expansion mechanism operatively arranged to displace the superior component with respect to the inferior component.

Systems for the minimally invasive repair, stabilization and/or fixation of a fractured bone, such as a rib, are disclosed. The systems include one or more rods/support members that are designed to extend along a dimension of a bone being repaired and secure the fractured bone. The support members can be photodynamic and are formed using an expandable member that is filled with a light-sensitive liquid that is cured to form the rigid support member. Two or more clamps are used to secure the support member(s) to the rib or other bone. Minimally invasive surgical methods for securing the systems to a fractured bone are also disclosed.

A mesh implant and/or container may be used as an intervertebral implant. The mesh implant may be anchored or otherwise fixed to the vertebral endplates to prevent the implant from migrating forward and out anteriorly to the spinal column. The mesh implant may be knitted with a rip stop, elastic or other stich pattern to prevent unraveling or tearing.

Apparatus and associated methods relate to a balloon kyphoplasty surgical device comprising an extrusion tube having internal fluid channels and a support wire, a port arrangement positioned on a proximal end of the extrusion tube and a balloon arrangement positioned on a distal end of the extrusion tube, the balloon arrangement resulting in a cubic shape when inflated by the port arrangement. An exemplary implementation may be configured with multiple inner balloons housed in an outer balloon to create a specific shape. Some designs may be configured with multiple ports designed to individually and independently inflate each inner balloon and outer balloon. The outer balloon may be inflatable. The outer balloon may be sealed off, constraining inflation of the inner balloons to create a cubic-like shape when the inner balloons are inflated within the sealed outer balloon, resulting in improved vertebral structure stabilization by increased surface area lifting the bone.

An interbody fusion device having an accordion-like structure, wherein the device in inserted into the disc space in its collapsed configuration and then expanded into its expanded configuration by compressing the accordion-like portion of the device. In some embodiments, a pre-formed tube with an accordion-like structure over a portion of its length is inserted in a relaxed (collapsed) configuration, giving the tube a minimum possible diameter. This tube has a cable running through it that is fixed to a distal end portion of the tube and extends past the proximal end portion of the tube to the outside of the patient. Once the tube is positioned on the rim of the endplate, the proximal end of the cable is pulled, thereby tensioning the cable and causing the accordion portion of the tube to become shorter in length but larger in diameter.

A prosthesis for implantation in a de-nucleated intervertebral disc includes a fiber ring-like layer which encloses a polymeric layer to create an annular space. The annular space is inflatable with an in-situ curable liquid polymer and forms an interior cavity. The annular space may be expanded uniformly or differentially to be tailored to the needs of a particular vertebral segment and to achieve optimal disc space width and angle, thereby stabilizing the segment while preserving normal motion of the vertebral segment. The interior cavity provides a void that allows inward deformation of the implant during weight bearing activities and bending. The prosthesis can be elastically deformed through axial elongation to a reduced profile to load into a delivery cannula using pulling techniques.

An expandable intervertebral total disc replacement implant, including an inferior component, including a first core including a first outer surface and a first inner surface, and a first arm telescopingly engaged with the first core, a superior component, including a second core including a second outer surface and a second inner surface, and a second arm telescopingly engaged with the second core, and an expansion mechanism connected to the first core, the second core, and at least one of the first arm and the second arm.

An implant assembly smoothly causes a folded implant to indwell a living body, and which can smoothly expand the implant without causing the implant to be displaced from a predetermined indwelling position when a filling material is injected. The implant assembly has the implant that is configured to be transformable from a folded and contracted state to an expanded state by the introduced filling material, and in which at least a portion of a surface thereof is covered with a covering material m whose friction coefficient increases by coming into contact with a body fluid, and guiding means for preventing the implant and the body fluid of the living body from coming into contact with each other inside the living body, and for guiding the implant to move to the indwelling position inside the living body.

A central inflatable distractor and a perimeter balloon are inserted into the disc space in uninflated configurations. The central inflatable distractor is then expanded, thereby distracting the vertebral endplates to the controlled height of the central inflatable distractor. The perimeter balloon is then inflated with a curable substance. The perimeter balloon expands as it is filled with the curable substance and conforms to the void remaining in the disc space around the central inflatable distractor, thereby creating a horseshoe shape. Once the flowable material in the perimeter balloon has cured, the central inflated distractor can be deflated and removed. The remaining void (or inner space) is then packed with graft for fusion.