US 11,849,931 B2
Methods and apparatus for access to and/or treatment of the spine
Gene P Dipoto, Upton, MA (US); Stephen J Anderson, Hopkinton, MA (US); and Alan E. Shluzas, Redwood City, CA (US)
Assigned to Zimmer Biomet Spine, Inc., Edina, MN (US)
Filed by Zimmer Spine, Inc., Edina, MN (US)
Filed on Dec. 28, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/135,740.
Application 17/135,740 is a continuation of application No. 16/122,668, filed on Sep. 5, 2018, granted, now 10,905,407.
Application 16/122,668 is a continuation of application No. 14/727,142, filed on Jun. 1, 2015, granted, now 10,085,732.
Application 14/727,142 is a continuation of application No. 11/760,551, filed on Jun. 8, 2007, granted, now 9,055,934.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/812,703, filed on Jun. 9, 2006.
Prior Publication US 2021/0113201 A1, Apr. 22, 2021
Int. Cl. A61B 17/70 (2006.01); A61B 17/88 (2006.01); A61B 17/02 (2006.01); A61B 17/06 (2006.01); A61B 17/34 (2006.01); A61B 17/04 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 17/02 (2013.01) [A61B 17/06109 (2013.01); A61B 17/3439 (2013.01); A61B 17/7002 (2013.01); A61B 17/708 (2013.01); A61B 17/7032 (2013.01); A61B 17/7035 (2013.01); A61B 17/7082 (2013.01); A61B 17/7083 (2013.01); A61B 17/7085 (2013.01); A61B 17/7091 (2013.01); A61B 17/8863 (2013.01); A61B 17/0218 (2013.01); A61B 17/0482 (2013.01); A61B 17/0483 (2013.01); A61B 17/3421 (2013.01); A61B 2017/0256 (2013.01); A61B 2017/3443 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A minimally invasive vertebral fixation system, the system comprising:
a bone anchor including a saddle-shaped housing configured to receive a fixation element;
a multipurpose tool including an elongate body formed from displaceable opposing elongate arms extended from a cylindrical proximal portion, each arm of the opposing elongate arms including a protrusion extending radially inward from an interior surface engageable with a corresponding recess on an outer surface of the saddle-shaped housing; and
a retaining clip including an elongated body with a c-shaped clip portion coupled to a distal end of the elongated body, the c-shaped clip portion configured to receive and constrain the opposing elongate arms of the multipurpose tool from displacing outward when engaging the saddle-shaped housing of the bone anchor when the retaining clip is in a distal position relative to the multipurpose tool,
wherein the engagement of the c-shaped clip portion to the opposing elongate arms of the multipurpose tool when the opposing elongate arms are engaged with the bone anchor allows for single-handed insertion of the bone anchor at a target location.