Method, system, and apparatus for producing interbody implants

Abstract

Embodiments of forming custom interbody implants that may be used to stabilize region(s) formed between mammalian bony segments, including systems and methods to produce a custom interbody element that may be used to fixably stabilize or couple region(s) formed between two or more mammalian bony segments. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An interbody implant for fixably stabilizing adjacent bony elements when placed therebetween, the implant including:
 an upper face shaped to engage a lower region of the superior bony element of the adjacent bony elements when placed therebetween; and   a lower face shaped to engage am upper region of the inferior bony element of the adjacent bony elements when placed therebetween,   wherein the upper face and the lower face are shaped from a plurality of images taken of the region between the adjacent bony elements when the bony elements are placed in a first predetermined relationship to each other.   
     
     
         2 . The interbody implant of  claim 1 , wherein the adjacent bony elements are adjacent cervical vertebrae and the implant is shaped to be placed in the disc space between the adjacent cervical implants. 
     
     
         3 . The interbody implant of  claim 1 , wherein the first predetermined relationship is a neutral relationship where the adjacent cervical vertebrae are in non-elongated, non-rotated, and non-flexed position. 
     
     
         4 . The interbody implant of  claim 2 , where the plurality of images is formed from an imaging system employing of one of magnetic resolution imaging (MRI), ultrasound, optical camera (where region is exposed), and computer tomography (CT) to form images. 
     
     
         5 . The interbody implant of  claim 2 , wherein the upper face has arms that are shaped to extend partially beyond the disc space between the adjacent cervical vertebrae when placed therebetween and has an inverted saddle shape. 
     
     
         6 . The interbody implant of  claim 5 , wherein the lower face has arms that are shaped to extend partially beyond the disc space between the adjacent cervical vertebrae when placed therebetween and has an inverted saddle shape. 
     
     
         7 . The interbody implant of  claim 2 , wherein the upper face has arms that are shaped to extend beyond the disc space between the adjacent cervical vertebrae when placed therebetween and has an inverted saddle shape. 
     
     
         8 . The interbody implant of  claim 7 , wherein the lower face has arms that are shaped to extend beyond the disc space between the adjacent cervical vertebrae when placed therebetween and has an inverted saddle shape. 
     
     
         9 . The interbody implant of  claim 1 , wherein the implant upper face is formed based on exact mappings to be fixably coupled to the lower region of the superior bony element to form a non-movable relationship between the adjacent bony elements when placed therebetween. 
     
     
         10 . The interbody implant of  claim 8 , wherein the implant upper face is formed based on exact mappings to be fixably coupled to the lower region of the superior cervical vertebrae to form a non-movable relationship between the adjacent cervical vertebrae when placed therebetween. 
     
     
         11 . The interbody implant of  claim 9 , wherein the implant lower face is formed based on exact mappings to be fixably coupled to the upper region of the inferior bony element to form a non-movable relationship between the adjacent bony elements when placed therebetween. 
     
     
         12 . The interbody implant of  claim 10 , wherein the implant lower face is formed based on exact mappings to be fixably coupled to upper region of the inferior cervical vertebrae to form a non-movable relationship between the adjacent cervical vertebrae when placed therebetween. 
     
     
         13 . The interbody implant of  claim 10 , wherein the upper face has arms that are shaped to extend partially beyond the disc space between the adjacent cervical vertebrae when placed therebetween and has an inverted saddle shape. 
     
     
         14 . The interbody implant of  claim 12 , wherein the lower face has arms that are shaped to extend partially beyond the disc space between the adjacent cervical vertebrae when placed therebetween and has an inverted saddle shape. 
     
     
         15 . The interbody implant of  claim 10 , wherein the first predetermined relationship is a neutral relationship where the adjacent cervical vertebrae are in non-elongated, non-rotated, and non-flexed position. 
     
     
         16 . The interbody implant of  claim 10 , where the plurality of images is formed from an imaging system employing of one of magnetic resolution imaging (MRI), ultrasound, optical camera (where region is exposed), and computer tomography (CT) to form images. 
     
     
         17 . The interbody implant of  claim 15 , where the plurality of images is formed from an imaging system employing of one of magnetic resolution imaging (MRI), ultrasound, optical camera (where region is exposed), and computer tomography (CT) to form images. 
     
     
         18 . The interbody implant of  claim 12 , wherein the first predetermined relationship is a neutral relationship where the adjacent cervical vertebrae are in non-elongated, non-rotated, and non-flexed position. 
     
     
         19 . The interbody implant of  claim 12 , where the plurality of images is formed from an imaging system employing of one of magnetic resolution imaging (MRI), ultrasound, optical camera (where region is exposed), and computer tomography (CT) to form images. 
     
     
         20 . The interbody implant of  claim 18 , where the plurality of images is formed from an imaging system employing of one of magnetic resolution imaging (MRI), ultrasound, optical camera (where region is exposed), and computer tomography (CT) to form images.