Methods and apparatus for treating vertebral fractures

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for treating bones, including, in one or more embodiments, methods and apparatus for treatment of vertebral fractures that include an inflation device for cavity creation and an inflation and containment device for maintaining vertebral height and cement containment. Methods for treating a bone comprising: creating a cavity in the bone; inflating a containment jacket in the cavity; inflating a balloon within the containment jacket so that the balloon occupies a first portion of the containment jacket; introducing a first filler material into a second portion of the containment jacket, wherein the second portion of the containment jacket is not occupied by the balloon; removing the balloon from the containment jacket; and introducing a second filler material into the first portion of the containment jacket.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for treating a bone comprising:
 inserting a cavity creation balloon in the bone;   inflating the cavity creation balloon in the bone to create a cavity in the bone;   removing the cavity creation balloon from the bone;   inserting an inflation and containment device, wherein the device comprises:
 a containment jacket; 
 a fill tube comprising a distal end; and 
 a balloon within the containment jacket so that the balloon occupies a first portion of the containment jacket, wherein the balloon extends from the distal end of the fill tube; 
   inflating the balloon within the containment jacket;   introducing a first filler material into a second portion of the containment jacket, wherein the second portion of the containment jacket is not occupied by the balloon;   removing the balloon from the first portion of the containment jacket; and   introducing a second filler material into the first portion of the containment jacket,   wherein the second filler material is introduced via the fill tube,   wherein the filler material within the containment jacket interdigitates with cancellous bone, and   wherein the filler material in the first portion of the containment jacket and the filler material in the second portion of the containment jacket cure at different times.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the bone is a vertebral body. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the containment jacket prevents leakage of the filler material. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the filler material is able to interdigitate with the bone surrounding the cavity. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the containment jacket is at least partially coated with a bone growing agent. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first filler material comprises a bone cement. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first filler material occupies from about 25% to about 75% of the volume of the cavity in the containment jacket. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first filler material and the second filler material are the same material. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first filler material and the second filler material are different materials. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second filler material is a bone cement. 
     
     
         11 . A method for treating a vertebral fracture comprising:
 introducing an inflation and containment device into the vertebral body, wherein the inflation and containment device comprises:   an exterior tube having a longitudinal axis and comprising an exterior passageway and an interior passageway extending along the longitudinal axis, wherein the exterior passageway surrounds the interior passageway and is separated from the interior passageway by an interior wall, and wherein the exterior tube has at least one exit port in a distal end for the exterior passageway,   an interior fill tube extending through the interior passageway of the exterior tube;   a balloon positioned on a distal end of the interior fill tube and in a deflated state;   a containment jacket positioned on the distal end of the exterior tube and in a deflated state,   wherein the containment jacket encloses the balloon;   inserting the containment jacket to at least partially fill the cavity;   inflating the balloon such that the balloon occupies a first portion of the containment jacket;   introducing a filler material into a second portion of the containment jacket, wherein the second portion of the containment is not occupied by the balloon;   allowing the filler material to cure in the second portion of the containment jacket;   deflating the balloon;   removing the balloon from the containment jacket;   introducing the filler material into the first portion of the containment jacket via the interior tube and allowing the material to cure.   
     
     
         12 . An inflation and containment device comprising:
 an exterior tube having a longitudinal axis and comprising an exterior passageway and an interior passageway extending along the longitudinal axis;   an interior fill tube extending through the interior passageway of the exterior tube;   a balloon positioned on a distal end of the interior fill tube;   a containment jacket positioned on a distal end of the exterior tube, wherein the containment jacket encloses the balloon,   wherein the inferior fill tube further comprises a cement filling tube for delivering a filler material into the containment jacket,   wherein the volume of the balloon is less than the volume than the containment jacket.   
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 12 , further comprising a plurality of exit ports surrounding at least a portion of the interior passageway. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the balloon and the containment jacket are inflated simultaneously. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the filler material occupies 10-90% of the volume of the containment jacket.