The present invention relates generally to instruments and implants for intervertebral spacing. More specifically, the present invention provides instruments and implants that may be utilized to provide multi-directional insertion techniques to establish and maintain intervertebral spacing. Still more preferably, the present invention provides implants made of bone adapted to be inserted from more than one direction while maintaining proper orientation in the disc space.
The removal of damaged or diseased discs and restoration of disc space height to treat chronic back pain and other ailments, is well-known. Spacers are often utilized to maintain or reestablish disc space height after removal of all or a portion of the disc. Such spacing implants may include those promoting fusion between adjacent vertebral bodies, inert implants, and artificial disc implants. Such implants are typically designed to be inserted from an anterior, posterior or lateral approach. However, such implants are often designed for insertion only from one of the particular approaches to the spine. This is particularly true where implants are intended to maintain non-parallel angulation between adjacent vertebrae. Therefore, multiple implants each designed for insertion from one of the various approaches to the spine must be maintained in inventory to accommodate the various surgical demands of each procedure. Maintaining multiple implant designs may create inventory problems for both manufacturers and their customers. Moreover, the complications of creating multiple implants to accomplish the same desired spacing is compounded when implants are made of a scarce resources, such as allograft bone.
Therefore, there remains a need for instruments, techniques, and implants that reduce implant inventory without sacrificing desired implant configurations.