End member for a bone fusion implant

Abstract

An end member for use with a bone fusion implant is disclosed. The end member has a first portion, a second portion, and a shoulder connecting the two portions. The second portion is sized to fit within the interior of the bone fusion implant in such a fashion that the shoulder rests on the edge of the implant. The top surface of the first portion has at least one slot to receive a surgical instrument such as an inserter and/or distractor to facilitate implantation of the end member and bone fusion implant. The top surface may also have teeth to provide initial mechanical stability between the bone and end plate and promote bone fusion.

We claim:  
     
         1 . An end member for use with an implant for fusing bone comprising: 
 a first portion with a top surface adapted and configured to engage the bone and having a perimeter edge and a first channel extending across at least a portion of the top surface from the perimeter edge for receiving a surgical instrument;    a second portion configured and dimensioned to be inserted into a bore of the implant; and    a shoulder joining the first and second portions and sized to rest on an end edge of the implant when the second portion is inserted in the bore of the implant.    
     
     
         2 . An end member for use with an implant for fusing bone comprising: 
 a first portion with a top surface adopted and configured to engage the bone and having an edge and a first channel extending from the edge for receiving a surgical instrument;    a second portion configured and dimensioned to be inserted into a bore of the implant; and    a shoulder joining the first and second portions and sized to rest on an edge of the implant when the second portion is inserted in the bore of the implant, wherein the top surface further comprises a plurality of teeth provided in a two dimensional array with the teeth being spaced apart from one another for interlocking with the bone.    
     
     
         3 . The end member of  claim 2  wherein the teeth have a pyramid shape.  
     
     
         4 . The end member of  claim 1  wherein the top surface is annular.  
     
     
         5 . The end member of  claim 1  wherein the top surface is solid.  
     
     
         6 . The end member of  claim 1  wherein the top surface is round.  
     
     
         7 . The end member of  claim 1  wherein the top surface is oval.  
     
     
         8 . The end member of  claim 1  wherein the top surface is oblong.  
     
     
         9 . The end member of  claim 1  wherein the top surface is a flat planar surface.  
     
     
         10 . The end member of  claim 1  wherein an exterior surface of the second portion has a protuberance size to fit in an aperture of the implant to secure the end member to the implant.  
     
     
         11 . The end member of  claim 1  wherein the top surface has a second channel for receiving a surgical instrument.  
     
     
         12 . The end member of  claim 11  wherein the first and second channels run in an anterolateral direction.  
     
     
         13 . The end member of  claim 11  wherein the first channel runs in an anterior-posterior direction and the second channel runs in a lateral direction.  
     
     
         14 . The end member of  claim 1  wherein the second portion comprises a plurality of tabs to secure the end member to the implant.  
     
     
         15 . The end member of  claim 14  wherein each of the plurality of tabs is resilient, flexing inward upon insertion of the second portion in the implant and flexing back outward to secure the end member to the implant.  
     
     
         16 . The end member of  claim 1  wherein the end member is made of the same material as the implant.  
     
     
         17 . An implant for fusing bone comprising: 
 an implant central body extending longitudinally from a first end to a second end and defining a bore extending longitudinally therethrough, and    an end member for use with the implant body, the end member comprising: 
 a first portion with a top surface adapted and configured to engage the bone and having a perimeter edge and a first channel extending across at least a portion of the top surface from the perimeter edge for receiving a surgical instrument;  
 a second portion configured and dimensioned to be inserted into the bore of the implant body; and  
 a shoulder joining the first and second portions and sized to rest on an end of the implant body when the second portion is inserted in the bore of the implant body.  
   
     
     
         18 . The implant of  claim 17  wherein the central body defines an implant perimeter edge about the first end and the perimeter edge of the first portion of the end member is aligned with the implant perimeter edge when the second portion is inserted in the bore of the implant body.  
     
     
         19 . The end member of  claim 17  wherein the top surface further comprises a plurality of teeth for interlocking with the bone.  
     
     
         20 . The end member of  claim 17  wherein the top surface has a second channel for receiving a surgical instrument.