US 12,083,022 B2
Expandable interbody fusions devices
Mark Weiman, Downingtown, PA (US); Myles Sullivan, Philadelphia, PA (US); Tyler Hessler, Phoenixville, PA (US); and Chad Glerum, Pennsburg, PA (US)
Assigned to Globus Medical Inc., Audubon, PA (US)
Filed by GLOBUS MEDICAL, INC., Audubon, PA (US)
Filed on May 18, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/747,224.
Application 17/747,224 is a continuation of application No. 16/923,362, filed on Jul. 8, 2020, granted, now 11,357,640.
Prior Publication US 2022/0273456 A1, Sep. 1, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61F 2/44 (2006.01); A61F 2/30 (2006.01)
CPC A61F 2/4425 (2013.01) [A61F 2/447 (2013.01); A61F 2002/30405 (2013.01); A61F 2002/443 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for stabilizing adjacent vertebrae comprising:
providing an expandable implant having:
an upper endplate assembly including a plurality of upper endplates;
a lower endplate assembly including a plurality of lower endplates;
an actuator assembly including a rotatable actuator having a shaft and a rotatable nut;
a plurality of driving ramps including a front ramp, a mid-ramp, and a rear ramp positioned along the shaft of the actuator;
an upper ramp connected to the upper endplate assembly and engaged with the plurality of driving ramps; and
a lower ramp connected to the lower endplate assembly and engaged with the plurality of driving ramps,
wherein the upper and lower endplate assemblies are configured to expand in width, and
wherein rotation of the actuator and/or the nut causes movement of one or more of the driving ramps, thereby causing an expansion in height of the upper and lower endplate assemblies,
wherein the shaft of the actuator includes a first threaded portion, a second threaded portion, and a non-threaded portion,
wherein the front ramp is positioned on the non-threaded portion of the actuator, the mid-ramp is positioned on the first threaded portion, and the rear ramp is positioned on the second threaded portion; and
positioning the expandable implant between adjacent vertebral bodies.