US 12,185,986 B2
Segmental tensioning of spinal tethers
Daniel Gerard Hoernschemeyer, Columbia, MO (US); Matthew Prygoski, North Liberty, IN (US); and Evangelos Tozakoglou, Fort Wayne, IN (US)
Assigned to OrthoPediatrics Corp., Warsaw, IN (US)
Appl. No. 16/625,498
Filed by OrthoPediatrics Corp., Warsaw, IN (US)
PCT Filed Jan. 30, 2019, PCT No. PCT/US2019/015828
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 20, 2019,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/152502, PCT Pub. Date Aug. 8, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/623,769, filed on Jan. 30, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2020/0360059 A1, Nov. 19, 2020
Int. Cl. A61B 17/70 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 17/7053 (2013.01) [A61B 17/7022 (2013.01); A61B 17/7031 (2013.01); A61B 17/7059 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for flexibly connecting vertebrae, comprising:
attaching a first tethering head to a first vertebra;
attaching a second tethering head to the first vertebra spaced apart from the first tethering head;
attaching a third tethering head to a second vertebra;
attaching a fourth tethering head to the second vertebra spaced apart from the third tethering head;
attaching a fifth tethering head to a third vertebra;
placing a first flexible member in a first groove in the first tethering head;
placing a second flexible member in a second groove in the second tethering head;
placing a third flexible member in a third groove in the third tethering head;
placing a fourth flexible member in a fourth groove in the fourth tethering head;
connecting the first vertebra to the second vertebra by tethering the first tethering head to the third tethering head with the first flexible member;
connecting the first vertebra to the second vertebra by tethering the second tethering head to the third tethering head with the second flexible member;
connecting the second vertebra to the third vertebra by tethering the third tethering head to the fifth tethering head with the third flexible member;
connecting the second vertebra to the third vertebra by tethering the fourth tethering head to the fifth tethering head with the fourth flexible member; and
leaving the first tethering head untethered from the fourth tethering head.