US10136995B2

US PATENT 10,136,995 B2

METHOD OF FUSING A SACROILIAC JOINT WITH AN IMPLANT WITH STRUTS

A method for fixating a dysfunctional sacroiliac joint including implanting a joint implant at the sacroiliac joint. The joint implant may include: a length extending between a proximal end and a distal end; an exterior surface extending the length; an interior surface opposite the exterior surface and extending the length, the interior surface defining an internal volume therein; a wall thickness defined between the external surface and the interior surface; a proximal opening extending into the internal volume; a first wall section comprising a first plurality of struts arranged along the length and defining a first plurality of openings extending through the wall thickness; and a second wall section including a second plurality of struts arranged along the length and defining a second plurality of opening extending through the wall thickness. Each opening of the first and second plurality of openings may be generally polygonal in shape.

CLAIMS

1.         A method of fusing a sacroiliac joint defined between a sacrum and an ilium, the method comprising:

implanting a joint implant at the sacroiliac joint, the joint implant comprising:

a length extending between a proximal end and a distal end;

an exterior surface extending the length;

an interior surface opposite the exterior surface and extending the length, the interior surface defining an internal volume therein;

a wall thickness defined between the external surface and the interior surface;

a proximal opening extending into the internal volume;

a first wall section comprising a first plurality of struts arranged along the length and defining a first plurality of openings extending through the wall thickness; and

a second wall section comprising a second plurality of struts arranged along the length and defining a second plurality of opening extending through the wall thickness,

wherein the first and second plurality of struts are each arranged along lengths of the first and second wall sections, respectively, such that each opening of the first and second plurality of openings are generally polygonal in shape.

2.         The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second wall sections are generally planar.

3.         The method of claim 1, wherein the exterior surface of the implant body defines a non-circular cross-section transverse to the length.

4.         The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of each of the first and second plurality of struts are arranged in a repeating strut pattern.

5.         The method of claim 4, wherein the repeating strut pattern of the first and second plurality of struts are identical to each other.

6.         The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second wall sections are generally parallel to each other.

7.         The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second wall sections comprises anti-migration surface features on the exterior surface.

8.         The method of claim 1, wherein the each opening of the first and second plurality of openings is generally triangular in shape.

9.         The method of claim 1, wherein the joint implant further comprises an access opening extending through the wall thickness and configured for the passage of biological material therethrough, a portion of the access opening is defined at a tapered distal portion of the exterior surface at the distal end. 

10.       The method of claim 1, wherein the joint implant is implanted non-transversely into the sacroiliac joint. 

11.       The method of claim 1, wherein the joint implant is implanted into the sacroiliac joint such that portions of the joint implant extend into the ilium and the sacrum.

12.       The method of claim 1, further comprising packing the internal volume at least partially with bone growth material prior to implanting the joint implant into the sacroiliac joint.

13.       The method of claim 1, further comprising forming an implant receiving space in at least one of the sacrum, the ilium, or the sacroiliac joint for receiving the joint implant prior to implanting the joint implant into the sacroiliac joint.

14.       The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second plurality of openings includes at least two openings that are arranged in a mirror image fashion relative to each other.

15.       The method of claim 1, wherein the joint implant further comprises a third wall section comprising a third plurality of struts arranged along the length and defining a third plurality of openings extending through the wall thickness.

16.       A method of fusing a sacroiliac joint defined between a sacrum and an ilium, the method comprising:

implanting a joint implant at the sacroiliac joint, the joint implant comprising a length extending between a proximal end and a distal end, a non-circular cross-section transverse to the length, an exterior surface, an interior surface defining an internal volume therein, a wall thickness defined between the external surface and the interior surface, a proximal opening extending into the internal volume, a first wall section, and a second wall section, each of the first and second wall sections comprising a plurality of struts defining a pattern of polygonal-shaped openings extending between groups of multiple struts of the plurality of struts, the polygonal-shaped openings extending from the exterior surface to the interior surface.

17.       The method of claim 16, wherein the first and second wall sections are generally planar.

18.       The method of claim 16, wherein the non-circular cross-section is generally polygonal in shape.

19.       The method of claim 16, wherein the pattern of the plurality of struts on the first and second wall sections are identical to each other.

20.       The method of claim 16, wherein the first and second wall sections are generally parallel to each other.

21.       The method of claim 16, wherein each of the first and second wall sections comprise anti-migration surface features on the exterior surface.

22.       The method of claim 16, wherein the joint implant further comprises an access opening extending from the exterior surface to the interior surface, and is configured for the passage of biological material therethrough, a portion of the access opening is defined at a tapered distal portion of the exterior surface at the distal end. 

23.       The method of claim 16, wherein the joint implant is implanted non-transversely into the sacroiliac joint. 

24.       The method of claim 16, wherein the joint implant is implanted into the sacroiliac joint such that portions of the joint implant extend into the ilium and the sacrum.

25.       The method of claim 16, further comprising packing the internal volume at least partially with bone growth material prior to implanting the joint implant into the sacroiliac joint.

26.       The method of claim 16, further comprising forming an implant receiving space in at least one of the sacrum, the ilium, or the sacroiliac joint for receiving the joint implant prior to implanting the joint implant into the sacroiliac joint.

27.       The method of claim 16, wherein the polygonal-shaped openings defined by the plurality of struts on the first and second wall sections include at least two openings that are arranged in a mirror image fashion relative to each other.

28.       The method of claim 16, wherein the joint implant further comprises a third wall section comprising the plurality of struts defining the pattern of polygonal-shaped openings extending between groups of multiple struts of the plurality of struts.

29.       A method of fusing a sacroiliac joint defined between a sacrum and an ilium, the method comprising:

implanting a joint implant at the sacroiliac joint, the joint implant comprising:

a length extending between a proximal end and a distal end;

an exterior surface extending the length and having a non-circular cross-section transverse to the length;

an interior surface opposite the exterior surface and extending the length, the interior surface defining an internal volume therein;

a wall thickness defined between the external surface and the interior surface;

a proximal opening extending into the internal volume;

a first wall section comprising a first plurality of struts arranged along the length and defining a first plurality of openings extending through the wall thickness; and

a second wall section comprising a second plurality of struts arranged along the length and defining a second plurality of opening extending through the wall thickness,

wherein the first and second plurality of struts are each arranged along lengths of the first and second wall sections, respectively, in a repeating strut pattern.

30.       The method of claim 29, wherein the first and second wall sections are generally planar.

31.       The method of claim 29, wherein the exterior surface includes a polygonal cross-section transverse to the length.

32.       The method of claim 29, wherein the repeating strut pattern defines at least two openings that are arranged in a mirror image fashion relative to each other.

33.       The method of claim 29, wherein the repeating strut pattern of the first and second plurality of struts, respectively, are identical to each other.

34.       The method of claim 29, wherein the first and second wall sections are generally parallel to each other.

35.       The method of claim 29, wherein each of the first and second wall sections comprises anti-migration surface features on the exterior surface.

36.       The method of claim 29, wherein each opening of the first and second plurality of openings is generally polygonal in shape.

37.       The method of claim 29, wherein the joint implant further comprises an access opening extending through the wall thickness and configured for the passage of biological material therethrough, a portion of the access opening is defined at a tapered distal portion of the exterior surface at the distal end. 

38.       The method of claim 29, wherein the joint implant is implanted non-transversely into the sacroiliac joint. 

39.       The method of claim 29, wherein the joint implant is implanted into the sacroiliac joint such that portions of the joint implant extend into the ilium and the sacrum.

40.       The method of claim 29, further comprising packing the internal volume at least partially with bone growth material prior to implanting the joint implant into the sacroiliac joint.

41.       The method of claim 29, further comprising forming an implant receiving space in at least one of the sacrum, the ilium, or the sacroiliac joint for receiving the joint implant prior to implanting the joint implant into the sacroiliac joint.

42.       The method of claim 29, wherein the joint implant further comprises a third wall section comprising a third plurality of struts arranged along the length and defining a third plurality of openings extending through the wall thickness.

43.       The method of claim 1, wherein the interior surface of the joint implant defines a non-circular cross-section transverse to the length.

44.       The method of claim 43, wherein the proximal opening defines a circular bore extending into a non-cylindrical internal volume, the non-circular cross-section having an area which is substantially greater than an area of a cross-section of the circular bore.

45.       The method of claim 3, wherein the interior surface of the joint implant defines a non-circular interior cross-sectional shape transverse to the length which generally matches a shape of the non-circular cross-section defined by the external surface.

46.       The method of claim 16, wherein the interior surface of the joint implant defines a non-circular interior cross-section transverse to the length.

47.       The method of claim 46, wherein the proximal opening defines a circular bore extending into the internal volume defining a non-cylindrical shape, the non-circular interior cross-section having an area which is substantially greater than an area of a cross-section of the circular bore.

48.       The method of claim 16, wherein the exterior surface defines the non-circular cross-section transverse to the length, and wherein the interior surface of the joint implant defines a non-circular interior cross-sectional shape transverse to the length which generally matches a shape of the non-circular cross-section defined by the external surface.

49.       The method of claim 29, wherein the interior surface of the joint implant defines a non-circular interior cross-section transverse to the length.

50.       The method of claim 49, wherein the proximal opening defines a circular bore extending into the internal volume defining a non-cylindrical shape, the non-circular interior cross-section having an area which is substantially greater than an area of a cross-section of the circular bore.

51.       The method of claim 29, wherein the interior surface of the joint implant defines a non-circular interior cross-sectional shape transverse to the length which generally matches a shape of the non-circular cross-section defined by the external surface.