US 11,998,246 B2
Polyaxial bone fixation element
Thomas Keyer, West Chester, PA (US); Joseph Capozzoli, Mount Laurel, NJ (US); and Eric McDivitt, Schwenksville, PA (US)
Assigned to DePuy Synthes Products, Inc., Raynham, MA (US)
Filed by DePuy Synthes Products, Inc., Raynham, MA (US)
Filed on May 17, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/663,714.
Application 17/663,714 is a continuation of application No. 17/328,230, filed on May 24, 2021, granted, now 11,357,550.
Application 17/328,230 is a continuation of application No. 17/124,625, filed on Dec. 17, 2020, granted, now 11,819,247.
Application 17/124,625 is a continuation of application No. 16/172,995, filed on Oct. 29, 2018, granted, now 10,898,234, issued on Jan. 26, 2021.
Application 16/172,995 is a continuation of application No. 15/254,382, filed on Sep. 1, 2016, granted, now 10,136,923, issued on Nov. 27, 2018.
Application 15/254,382 is a continuation of application No. 14/163,482, filed on Jan. 24, 2014, granted, now 9,439,681, issued on Sep. 13, 2016.
Application 14/163,482 is a continuation of application No. 12/669,224, granted, now 8,663,298, issued on Mar. 4, 2014, previously published as PCT/US2008/070670, filed on Jul. 21, 2008.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/988,584, filed on Nov. 16, 2007.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/950,995, filed on Jul. 20, 2007.
Prior Publication US 2022/0273344 A1, Sep. 1, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61B 17/70 (2006.01); A61B 17/86 (2006.01); A61B 17/88 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 17/7037 (2013.01) [A61B 17/7076 (2013.01); A61B 17/7077 (2013.01); A61B 17/7082 (2013.01); A61B 17/864 (2013.01); A61B 17/8841 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A bone screw assembly, comprising:
a body having a vertical axis extending between an upper end of the body and a lower end of the body that is spaced from the upper end of the body in a downward direction, the body including an upper opening, a lower opening, a bore extending between the upper and lower openings, and a rod-receiving passage extending from the upper end toward the lower end, the rod-receiving passage disposed along a horizontal passage axis that is perpendicular to the vertical axis, the body having first and second arms that are spaced apart from one another by the rod-receiving passage;
a bone anchor having a head and an externally-threaded shaft, the bone anchor extending through the lower opening of the body such that at least a portion of the head is disposed within the bore of the body;
an insert member disposed within the bore of the body, the insert member having an upper end including a surface configured to contact a rod when the rod is disposed within the rod-receiving passage of the body, and a lower end including a curvate surface configured to contact the head of the bone anchor, the insert member further including a insert member bore extending from the upper end of the insert member to the lower end of the insert member and configured to receive a tool therethrough; and
set screw comprising external threads that are configured to threadably engage internal threads formed on inner surfaces of the first and second arms of the body;
wherein the bone anchor is rotatable through a range of angles with respect to the insert member and the body;
wherein the first arm and the second arm each includes a respective outwardly-facing recess configured to receive a surgical instrument, wherein each recess comprises a respective slot that is elongated in a horizontal direction and a respective cut-out that intersects the respective slot and extends vertically from the respective slot;
wherein the first arm and the second arm each includes first and second vertically-extending grooves, each vertically-extending groove having a respective first planar surface, a respective second planar surface, and a respective third concave surface disposed below the respective second planar surface; and
wherein the first and second vertically-extending grooves are each open to the rod-receiving passage and open away from the lower end of the body along the vertical axis in an upward direction that is opposite the downward direction.