Treatment of the vertebral column Number:7,520,888 from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) owispatent

Title: Treatment of the vertebral column

Abstract: A method is provided for treating a spinal condition. The method includes introducing a biological treatment into an area of a vertebral column, and mechanically unloading the treated area by applying a load-bearing device to the anterior region, the anterior column region, the posterior region, or the spinous process region of the vertebral column.

Patent Number: 7,520,888 Issued on 04/21/2009 to Trieu

---

Inventors:	Trieu; Hai H. (Cordova, TN)
Assignee:	Warsaw Orthopedic, Inc. (Warsaw, IN)
Appl. No.:	11/353,520
Filed:	February 14, 2006

---

Current U.S. Class:	606/279 ; 606/248; 623/17.12
Current International Class:	A61B 17/70 (20060101); A61F 2/44 (20060101)
Field of Search:	623/17.11-17.16 606/61,248,279

---

References Cited [Referenced By]

---

U.S. Patent Documents

4969888	November 1990	Scholten et al.
5015247	May 1991	Michelson
5015255	May 1991	Kuslich
5062845	November 1991	Kuslich et al.
5108404	April 1992	Scholten et al.
5171279	December 1992	Mathews
5357983	October 1994	Mathews
5375823	December 1994	Navas
5445639	August 1995	Kuslich et al.
5480401	January 1996	Navas
5496322	March 1996	Mathews
5540688	July 1996	Navas
5569248	October 1996	Mathews
5645084	July 1997	McKay
5674295	October 1997	Ray et al.
5674296	October 1997	Bryan et al.
5702453	December 1997	Rabbe et al.
5728097	March 1998	Mathews
5776197	July 1998	Rabbe et al.
5776198	July 1998	Rabbe et al.
5792044	August 1998	Foley et al.
5836948	November 1998	Zucherman et al.
5860977	January 1999	Zucherman et al.
5865846	February 1999	Bryan et al.
5876404	March 1999	Zucherman et al.
5888220	March 1999	Felt et al.
5902231	May 1999	Foley et al.
5928239	July 1999	Mirza
5954635	September 1999	Foley et al.
5980504	November 1999	Sharkey et al.
5984967	November 1999	Zdeblick et al.
6007487	December 1999	Foley et al.
6007570	December 1999	Sharkey et al.
6033406	March 2000	Mathews
6033438	March 2000	Bianchi et al.
6095149	August 2000	Sharkey et al.
6113637	September 2000	Gill et al.
6122549	September 2000	Sharkey et al.
6126682	October 2000	Sharkey et al.
6152871	November 2000	Foley et al.
6156067	December 2000	Bryan et al.
6162170	December 2000	Foley et al.
6162252	December 2000	Kuras et al.
6176823	January 2001	Foley et al.
6206822	March 2001	Foley et al.
6217509	April 2001	Foley et al.
6224604	May 2001	Suddaby
6241734	June 2001	Scribner et al.
6248110	June 2001	Reiley et al.
6248131	June 2001	Felt et al.
6344057	February 2002	Rabbe et al.
6371988	April 2002	Pafford et al.
6419702	July 2002	Ferree
6425859	July 2002	Foley et al.
6440138	August 2002	Reiley et al.
6478822	November 2002	Leroux et al.
6517568	February 2003	Sharkey et al.
6520907	February 2003	Foley et al.
6540785	April 2003	Gill et al.
6558386	May 2003	Cragg
6558390	May 2003	Cragg
6575899	June 2003	Foley et al.
6575919	June 2003	Reiley et al.
6582439	June 2003	Sproul
6582446	June 2003	Marchosky
6582467	June 2003	Teitelbaum et al.
6592625	July 2003	Cauthen
6592664	July 2003	Frey et al.
6599291	July 2003	Foley et al.
6613018	September 2003	Bagga et al.
6613054	September 2003	Scribner et al.
6613091	September 2003	Zdeblick et al.
6620162	September 2003	Kuslich et al.
6620196	September 2003	Trieu
6626944	September 2003	Taylor
6641587	November 2003	Scribner et al.
6648916	November 2003	McKay
6666891	December 2003	Boehm, Jr. et al.
6669732	December 2003	Serhan et al.
6676665	January 2004	Foley et al.
6679886	January 2004	Weikel et al.
6716216	April 2004	Boucher et al.
6719761	April 2004	Reiley et al.
6719773	April 2004	Boucher et al.
6723335	April 2004	Moehlenbruck et al.
6726691	April 2004	Osorio et al.
6730095	May 2004	Olson, Jr. et al.
6740118	May 2004	Eisermann et al.
6746451	June 2004	Middleton et al.
6761720	July 2004	Senegas
6770079	August 2004	Bhatnagar et al.
6780191	August 2004	Sproul
6780192	August 2004	McKay et al.
6786930	September 2004	Biscup
6805715	October 2004	Reuter et al.
6949123	September 2005	Reiley
6969404	November 2005	Ferree
7445637	November 2008	Taylor
2001/0020188	September 2001	Sander
2002/0016583	February 2002	Cragg
2002/0016616	February 2002	McGraw et al.
2002/0029082	March 2002	Muhanna
2002/0045942	April 2002	Ham
2002/0045944	April 2002	Muhanna et al.
2002/0076400	June 2002	Katz et al.
2002/0099384	July 2002	Scribner et al.
2002/0099385	July 2002	Ralph et al.
2002/0115742	August 2002	Trieu et al.
2002/0120336	August 2002	Santilli
2002/0128718	September 2002	Ferree
2002/0132334	September 2002	Jessell et al.
2002/0150971	October 2002	Johansen et al.
2002/0151893	October 2002	Santilli
2002/0156483	October 2002	Voellmicke et al.
2002/0165542	November 2002	Ferree
2002/0168663	November 2002	Phan et al.
2002/0172980	November 2002	Phan et al.
2002/0173796	November 2002	Cragg
2003/0003464	January 2003	Phan et al.
2003/0004574	January 2003	Ferree
2003/0009227	January 2003	Lambrecht et al.
2003/0044421	March 2003	Emini et al.
2003/0045937	March 2003	Ginn
2003/0054331	March 2003	Fraser et al.
2003/0054376	March 2003	Mullis et al.
2003/0055427	March 2003	Graf
2003/0069639	April 2003	Sander et al.
2003/0082152	May 2003	Hedrick et al.
2003/0082568	May 2003	Phan et al.
2003/0086936	May 2003	Souza
2003/0118545	June 2003	Shi et al.
2003/0129665	July 2003	Selvan et al.
2003/0130664	July 2003	Boucher et al.
2003/0153849	August 2003	Huckle et al.
2003/0161816	August 2003	Fraser et al.
2003/0162707	August 2003	Fraser et al.
2003/0171814	September 2003	Muhanna et al.
2003/0180266	September 2003	McKay et al.
2003/0181964	September 2003	Sharkey et al.
2003/0191474	October 2003	Cragg et al.
2003/0195518	October 2003	Cragg
2003/0195630	October 2003	Ferree
2003/0199871	October 2003	Foley et al.
2003/0216736	November 2003	Robinson et al.
2003/0219423	November 2003	Gazit et al.
2003/0219713	November 2003	Valencia et al.
2003/0219843	November 2003	Welsch et al.
2003/0220283	November 2003	Glorioso et al.
2003/0228292	December 2003	Gazit et al.
2003/0229353	December 2003	Cragg
2003/0233096	December 2003	Osorio et al.
2004/0024081	February 2004	Trieu et al.
2004/0024410	February 2004	Olson, Jr. et al.
2004/0030392	February 2004	Lambrecht et al.
2004/0033221	February 2004	Masuda et al.
2004/0052829	March 2004	Shimp
2004/0054414	March 2004	Trieu et al.
2004/0064058	April 2004	McKay
2004/0068267	April 2004	Harvie et al.
2004/0083001	April 2004	Kandel
2004/0087947	May 2004	Lim et al.
2004/0091540	May 2004	Desrosiers et al.
2004/0092946	May 2004	Bagga et al.
2004/0097867	May 2004	Fraser et al.
2004/0097928	May 2004	Zdeblick et al.
2004/0097930	May 2004	Justis et al.
2004/0097980	May 2004	Ferree
2004/0101957	May 2004	Emini et al.
2004/0102774	May 2004	Trieu
2004/0106196	June 2004	Fraser et al.
2004/0116927	June 2004	Graf
2004/0133280	July 2004	Trieu
2004/0153064	August 2004	Foley et al.
2004/0158248	August 2004	Ginn
2004/0171146	September 2004	Katz et al.
2004/0172132	September 2004	Ginn
2004/0193274	September 2004	Trieu
2004/0228853	November 2004	Serhan et al.
2004/0228901	November 2004	Trieu et al.
2004/0253219	December 2004	Hedman
2005/0008626	January 2005	Fraser et al.
2005/0015150	January 2005	Lee
2005/0020945	January 2005	Tosaya et al.
2005/0025755	February 2005	Hedrick et al.
2005/0031666	February 2005	Trieu
2005/0043801	February 2005	Trieu et al.
2005/0048033	March 2005	Fraser et al.
2005/0048034	March 2005	Fraser et al.
2005/0048035	March 2005	Fraser et al.
2005/0048036	March 2005	Hedrick et al.
2005/0048644	March 2005	Hedrick et al.
2005/0055030	March 2005	Falahee
2005/0055094	March 2005	Kuslich
2005/0058632	March 2005	Hedrick et al.
2005/0113923	May 2005	Acker et al.
2005/0118228	June 2005	Trieu
2005/0131405	June 2005	Molz, IV et al.
2005/0136042	June 2005	Betz et al.
2005/0153441	July 2005	Hedrick et al.
2005/0153442	July 2005	Katz et al.
2005/0153849	July 2005	Mishra et al.
2005/0154460	July 2005	Yundt
2005/0154461	July 2005	Humphreys et al.
2005/0154464	July 2005	Humphreys et al.
2005/0154465	July 2005	Hodges et al.
2005/0154466	July 2005	Humphreys et al.
2005/0154467	July 2005	Peterman et al.
2005/0159817	July 2005	Ferree
2005/0164969	July 2005	Blander et al.
2005/0171540	August 2005	Lim et al.
2005/0171608	August 2005	Peterman et al.
2005/0171609	August 2005	Humphreys et al.
2005/0171610	August 2005	Humphreys et al.
2005/0182417	August 2005	Pagano
2005/0186628	August 2005	Jessell et al.
2005/0186673	August 2005	Geistlich et al.
2005/0196387	September 2005	Seyedin et al.
2005/0245929	November 2005	Winslow et al.
2005/0260159	November 2005	Hasty et al.
2005/0260174	November 2005	Fraser et al.
2005/0260175	November 2005	Hedrick et al.
2005/0267577	December 2005	Trieu
2005/0273169	December 2005	Purcell
2005/0282275	December 2005	Katz et al.
2006/0247623	November 2006	Anderson et al.
2008/0039943	February 2008	Le Couedic

Foreign Patent Documents

	2870718		Dec., 2005		FR
	WO 97/26847		Jul., 1997		WO
	WO 00/48521		Aug., 2000		WO
	WO 00/67650		Nov., 2000		WO
	WO 03/105673		Dec., 2003		WO
	WO 2005/112835		Dec., 2005		WO
	WO 2005118015		Dec., 2005		WO

Other References

Susan M. Rapp; Cells in middle of disc that are low in glucose at risk of dying; Jan. 3, 2006. cited by other.

Primary Examiner: Robert; Eduardo C
Assistant Examiner: Rust; Ellen
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Haynes and Boone, LLP

---

Claims