Semi-biological intervertebral disc replacement system

Abstract

The present invention is a system for a partially biological disc replacement that stimulates natural fibrous, cartilaginous or other tissue growth in the DDD cavity, resulting in a partial biological disc replacement. Multiplicities of fibronous pieces of fibro-cartilaginous tissue promoting material are inserted into the DDD cavity inducing tissue growth. The fibro-cartilaginous tissue

1 . A system for semi-biologic nuclear replacement for a degenerated disc of a spine of a mammalian body comprising: 
 an injection tube having a small diameter corresponding to a small entrance hole defined in the degenerated disc that is at least partially excavated to create a cavity;    a volume of tissue promoting material sufficient to fill at least a portion of the cavity; and    an insertion device operably coupled to the injection tube that dispenses the volume of tissue promoting material into the cavity in a piecemeal manner as a plurality of aliquots of the tissue promoting material.    
   
   
       2 . The nuclear replacement of  claim 1  wherein the tissue promoting material is selected from a group consisting of fibrous tissue promoting material, cartilaginous promoting material and any combination thereof.  
   
   
       3 . The nuclear replacement of  claim 1  wherein the tissue promoting material is a preparation of multilayered bands piled in a circular configuration.  
   
   
       4 . The nuclear replacement of  claim 1  wherein the tissue promoting material is a preparation of tangled knots.  
   
   
       5 . The nuclear replacement of  claim 1  wherein the tissue promoting material is a preparation of multiple fabric bands.  
   
   
       6 . The nuclear replacement of  claim 1  wherein the tissue promoting material is combined with hydrogel.  
   
   
       7 . The nuclear replacement of  claim 1  wherein the tissue promoting material is surrounded by a porous container.  
   
   
       8 . The nuclear replacement of  claim 1  wherein the tissue promoting material is selected from a group consisting of: autograft, allograft, or xenograft of fascia, manmade polymeric fiber, talc, tissue promoting pharmaceuticals, tissue promoting minerals, tissue morphogenic protein, notochord cells and any combination thereof.  
   
   
       9 . A system for semi-biologic nuclear replacement for a degenerated disc of a spine of a mammalian body comprising: 
 an injection tube having a small diameter corresponding to a small entrance hole defined in the degenerated disc that is at least partially excavated to create a cavity; 
 a volume of strands of tissue promoting material combined with hydrogel strands sufficient to fill at least a portion of the cavity; and  
 an insertion device operably coupled to the injection tube that dispenses the volume of strands of tissue promoting material combined with strands of hydrogel into the cavity in a piecemeal manner as a plurality of aliquots of the tissue promoting material and hydrogel strands.  
   
   
   
       10 . The nuclear replacement of  claim 9  wherein the tissue promoting material is selected from a group consisting of fibrous tissue promoting material, cartilaginous promoting material and any combination thereof.  
   
   
       11 . The nuclear replacement of  claim 9  wherein the tissue promoting material is a preparation of multilayered bands piled in a circular configuration.  
   
   
       12 . The nuclear replacement of  claim 9  wherein the tissue promoting material is a preparation of tangled knots.  
   
   
       13 . The nuclear replacement of  claim 9  wherein the tissue promoting material is a preparation of multiple fabric bands.  
   
   
       14 . The nuclear replacement of  claim 9  wherein the tissue promoting material is surrounded by a porous container.  
   
   
       15 . The nuclear replacement of  claim 9  wherein the tissue promoting material is selected from a group comprising: autograft, allograft, or xenograft of fascia, autograft, manmade polymeric fiber, talc, tissue promoting pharmaceuticals, tissue promoting minerals, tissue morphogenic protein, notochord cells and any combination thereof.  
   
   
       16 . A system for semi-biologic nuclear replacement for a degenerated disc of a spine of a mammalian body comprising: 
 an injection tube having a small diameter corresponding to a small entrance hole defined in the degenerated disc that is at least partially excavated to create a cavity;    at least one strand of pliable tissue promoting material having an effective cross-sectional diameter less than the small diameter of the injection tube;    the at least one strand of pliable tissue promoting material having a volume sufficient to fill at least a portion of the cavity; and    an insertion device operably coupled to the injection tube that dispenses a length of the pliable tissue promoting material into the cavity such that the at least one strand is folded so as to fill at least a portion of the cavity.    
   
   
       17 . The nuclear replacement of  claim 1  wherein the tissue promoting material is selected from a group consisting of fibrous tissue promoting material, cartilaginous promoting material and any combination thereof.  
   
   
       18 . The nuclear replacement of  claim 16  wherein the tissue promoting material is a preparation of multilayered bands piled in a circular configuration.  
   
   
       19 . The nuclear replacement of  claim 16  wherein the tissue promoting material is a preparation of tangled knots.  
   
   
       20 . The nuclear replacement of  claim 16  wherein the tissue promoting material is a preparation of multiple fabric bands.  
   
   
       21 . The nuclear replacement of  claim 16  wherein the tissue promoting material is combined with hydrogel.  
   
   
       22 . The nuclear replacement of  claim 16  wherein the tissue promoting material is surrounded by a porous container.  
   
   
       23 . The nuclear replacement of  claim 16  wherein the tissue promoting material is selected from a group comprising: autograft, allograft, or xenograft of fascia, autograft, manmade polymeric fiber, talc, tissue promoting pharmaceuticals, tissue promoting minerals, tissue morphogenic protein, notochord cells and any combination thereof.  
   
   
       24 . A method of constructing a semi-biologic nuclear replacement for a degenerated disc of a spine of a mammalian body comprising: 
 boring a small entrance hole into the degenerated disc;    creating a cavity by reaming the degenerated disc and at least partially removing a degenerated disc nucleus via the small entrance hole; and    inserting a plurality of pieces of tissue promoting material into the cavity to create the semi-biologic nuclear replacement for the degenerated disc by stimulating the tissue forming response in the mammalian body to the tissue promoting material.    
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the tissue promoting material is selected from a group consisting of fibrous tissue promoting material, cartilaginous promoting material and any combination thereof.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 24  wherein endplate cartilage is partially removed.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 24  wherein endplate cartilage is retained.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 24  wherein portions of an outer annulus are removed.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 24  wherein portions of an outer annulus are retained.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the tissue promoting material is selected from a group comprising: autograft, allograft, or xenograft of fascia, manmade polymeric fiber, talc, tissue promoting pharmaceuticals, tissue promoting minerals, tissue morphogenic protein, notochord cells and any combination thereof.  
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the disc cavity surface is coated with a tissue promoting material.  
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the tissue promoting material is combined with hydrogel.  
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 24  further comprising: 
 inserting a porous container into the disc cavity;    said porous container adapted for tissue promoting material insertion therein.    
   
   
       34 . A method of constructing a semi-biologic nuclear replacement for a degenerated disc of a spine of a mammalian body comprising: 
 boring a small entrance hole into the degenerated disc;    creating a cavity by reaming the degenerated disc and at least partially removing a degenerated disc nucleus via the small entrance hole; and    inserting at least one strand of pliable tissue promoting material into the cavity such that a length of the at least one strand is folded within the cavity to create the semi-biologic nuclear replacement for the degenerated disc by stimulating the tissue forming response in the mammalian body to the tissue promoting material.    
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 34  wherein the tissue promoting material is selected from a group consisting of fibrous tissue promoting material, cartilaginous promoting material and any combination thereof.  
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 34  wherein endplate cartilage is partially removed.  
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 34  wherein the endplate cartilage is retained.  
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 34  wherein portions of an outer annulus are removed.  
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 34  wherein an outer annulus is retained.  
   
   
       40 . The method of  claim 34  wherein the tissue promoting material is selected from a group consisting of: autograft, allograft, or xenograft of fascia lata, autograft, manmade polymeric fiber, talc, tissue promoting pharmaceuticals, tissue promoting minerals, tissue morphogenic protein, notochord cells, and any combination thereof.  
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 34  wherein the disc cavity surface is coated with a tissue promoting material.  
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 34  wherein the tissue promoting material is combined with hydrogel.  
   
   
       43 . The method of  claim 34  further comprising: 
 inserting a porous container into the disc cavity;    said porous container adpapted for tissue promoting material insertion therein.    
   
   
       44 . A method of constructing a semi-biologic nuclear replacement for a degenerated disc of a spine of a mammalian body comprising: 
 boring a small entrance hole into the degenerated disc;    creating a cavity by reaming the degenerated disc and at least partially removing a degenerated disc nucleus via the small entrance hole; and    inserting a plurality of pieces of tissue promoting material combined with a plurality of pieces of hydrogel into the cavity to create the semi-biologic nuclear replacement for the degenerated disc by stimulating the tissue forming response in the mammalian body to the tissue promoting material and hydrogel.    
   
   
       45 . The nuclear replacement of  claim 44  wherein the tissue promoting material is selected from a group consisting of fibrous tissue promoting material, cartilaginous promoting material and any combination thereof.  
   
   
       46 . The method of  claim 44  wherein endplate cartilage is partially removed.  
   
   
       47 . The method of  claim 44  wherein the endplate cartilage is retained.  
   
   
       48 . The method of  claim 44  wherein portions of an outer annulus are removed.  
   
   
       49 . The method of  claim 44  wherein an outer annulus is retained.  
   
   
       50 . The method of  claim 44  wherein the tissue promoting material is selected from a group consisting of: autograft, allograft, or xenograft of fascia lata, autograft, manmade polymeric fiber, talc, tissue promoting pharmaceuticals, tissue promoting minerals, tissue morphogenic protein, notochord cells, and any combination thereof.  
   
   
       51 . The method of  claim 44  wherein the disc cavity surface is coated with a tissue promoting material.  
   
   
       52 . The method of  claim 44  further comprising: 
 inserting a porous container into the disc cavity;    said porous container adapted for tissue promoting material insertion therein.