US9788961B2

US PATENT 9,788,961 B2     SACROILIAC JOINT IMPLANT SYSTEM

Accordingly, a broad object of the invention can be to provide an inventive implant to facilitate stabilization while allowing an amount of motion of a sacroiliac joint. Embodiments of the sacroiliac joint implant can provide an elongate body, which can further include at least one fixation member, or a pair of fixation members which extend a distance outward from the longitudinal axis of the implant body adapted for non-transverse placement between the articular surfaces of the sacroiliac joint, and as to certain embodiments can further provide a third fixation member and additionally a fourth fixation member each adapted to extend a distance outward from the elongate body into the bone of the sacrum or the ilium.

CLAIMS

The invention claimed is: 

1. A method of treating a sacroiliac joint via implantation of an implant into a sacroiliac joint space defining a plane between a sacrum and an ilium and comprising a cranial portion and a caudal portion, the method comprising:

delivering an iliac member into the sacroiliac joint space,

the iliac member including a first arcuate body including a distal end, a proximal end opposite the distal end, a concave superior surface, a convex inferior surface opposite the concave superior surface, an interface surface and a fixation surface generally opposite the interface surface,

the iliac member delivered into the sacroiliac joint space such that: the concave superior surface faces an extra-articular region and the convex inferior surface faces away from the extra-articular region; the fixation surface of the iliac member engages the ilium; and the interface surface of the iliac member faces in a direction of the sacrum; and

delivering a sacrum member into the sacroiliac joint space,

the sacrum member including a second arcuate body including a distal end, a proximal end opposite the distal end, a concave superior surface, a convex inferior surface opposite the concave superior surface, an interface surface and a fixation surface generally opposite the interface surface,

the sacrum member delivered into the sacroiliac joint space such that: the concave superior surface faces the extra-articular region and the convex inferior surface faces away from the extra-articular region; the fixation surface of the sacrum member engages the sacrum and the interface surface of the sacrum member faces in a direction of the ilium,

wherein the interface surface of the iliac member engages the interface surface of the sacrum member such that movement relative to one another is restricted when both the iliac member and the sacrum member are implanted in the plane of the sacroiliac joint space. 

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sandwiching a core element between the interface surface of the iliac member and the interface surface of the sacrum member, such a sandwiched arrangement being a mechanism for engaging the interface surface of the iliac member with the interface surface of the sacrum member. 

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the interface surface of the iliac member is maintained in a spaced-apart arrangement from the interface surface of the sacrum member when the core element is sandwiched between the interface surfaces and the interface surfaces are engaged with each other. 

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the sandwiched arrangement is established before the iliac member and sacrum member are delivered into the sacroiliac joint space. 

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the sandwiched arrangement is established after the iliac member and sacrum member are delivered into the sacroiliac joint space. 

6. The method of claim 1, wherein, in engaging the interface surface of the iliac member with the interface surface of the sacrum member, the interface surfaces make direct physical contact and a feature of one of the interface surfaces is received in a feature of the other of the interface surfaces. 

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the engagement of the interface surface of the iliac member and the interface surface of the sacrum member results in a sliding mating contact. 

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the interface surface of the iliac member includes a first feature and the interface surface of the sacrum member includes a second feature that engages the first feature to partially limit sliding of the sliding mating contact. 

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the interface surface of the iliac member includes a first feature and the interface surface of the sacrum member includes a second feature that engages the first feature so as to limit movement between the iliac member and the sacrum member. 

10. The method as in any of claim 8 or 9, in which the first feature includes a protrusion and the second feature includes a recess in which the protrusion is received, or the second feature includes a protrusion and the first feature includes a recess in which the protrusion is received. 

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the protrusion includes a cylindrical element and the recess includes a channel element. 

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the protrusion includes a guide element generally in the form of an elongated ridge and the recess includes an elongated channel element. 

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the protrusion includes a convex surface and the recess includes a concave feature. 

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the protrusion includes a generally T-shaped cross section transverse to a length of the protrusion, and the recess includes a generally T-shaped cross section transverse to a length of the recess. 

15. The method of claim 10, wherein at least one of the fixation surface of the iliac member or the fixation surface of the sacrum member includes an outwardly projecting fixation member. 

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the fixation member includes at least one of a longitudinally extending rib or a longitudinally extending member having a T-shaped transverse cross section. 

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the engagement of the interface surface of the iliac member with the interface surface of the sacrum member is established before the iliac member and sacrum member are delivered into the sacroiliac joint space. 

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the engagement of the interface surface of the iliac member with the interface surface of the sacrum member is established after the iliac member and sacrum member are delivered into the sacroiliac joint space. 

19. The method of claim 9, wherein the restricted movement between the iliac member and the sacrum member allows for at least one of a rocking or sliding between the iliac member and the sacrum member. 

20. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the protrusion or recess extend along the first arcuate body of the iliac member, and at least one of the protrusion or recess extend along the second arcuate body of the sacrum member. 

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the iliac member and the sacrum member are delivered non-transversely into the sacroiliac joint space. 

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the iliac member and the sacrum member each comprise a curved longitudinal axis extending between the distal end and the proximal end. 

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the iliac member and the sacrum member are delivered into the sacroiliac joint space simultaneously with each other. 

24. The method as in any of claim 1 or 23, in which delivery of the iliac member and the sacrum member into the sacroiliac joint space is via a delivery tool releasably coupled at a distal end with the iliac member and the sacrum member. 

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising decoupling the iliac member and the sacrum member from the distal end of the delivery tool. 

26. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the fixation surface of the iliac member or the fixation surface of the sacrum member includes an outwardly projecting fixation member. 

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the fixation member includes at least one of a longitudinally extending rib or a longitudinally extending member having a T-shaped transverse cross section. 

28. The method of claim 26, wherein a curved length of the iliac member and the sacrum member defines a radius of about 20 mm to about 60 mm. 

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the outwardly projecting fixation member extends along at least a portion of the curved length of the iliac member or the sacrum member. 

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the outwardly projecting fixation member is curved along another radius that matches the radius. 

31. The method of claim 1, wherein a curved length of the iliac member and the sacrum member defines a radius of about 20 mm to about 60 mm. 

32. The method of claim 1, further comprising: removing cartilage or bone from the sacroiliac joint space, the sacrum, or the ilium prior to delivery of the implant. 

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising: forming a sacral channel in the sacrum, and forming an iliac channel in the ilium. 

34. The method of claim 1, wherein, upon delivery of the iliac member and the sacrum member into the sacroiliac joint space, the distal ends of the first arcuate body and the second arcuate body are positioned in the cranial portion of the sacroiliac joint space, and the proximal ends of the first arcuate body and the second arcuate body are positioned in the caudal portion of the sacroiliac joint space. 

35. The method of claim 34, wherein a curved length of the iliac member and the sacrum member defines a radius of about 20 mm to about 60 mm.