Patent attributes
The present invention provides tools and methods designed to aid in the placement of facet joint prostheses at virtually all spinal levels. One aspect of the present invention is a measurement tool for installing a cephalad facet joint prosthesis including a fixation measurement element and a support arm element. This measurement tool assists in the selection and/or configuration of a cephalad facet joint prosthesis for implantation in a patient. Another aspect is a measurement tool for installing a caudal facet joint prosthesis including a stem element and a trial caudal bearing surface element. This measurement tool assists in the selection and/or configuration of a caudal facet joint prosthesis for implantation in a patient. Yet another aspect is a measurement tool holder including a measurement surface connected to a holder element. This tool holder assists in determining the measurements obtained with the caudal facet joint prosthesis measurement tool.
