Importance

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Abstract

In an intervertebral joint prosthesis for an intervertebral space of the cervical spine, the intervertebral space is delimited by the end plates of the adjacent vertebral bodies. The bearing surfaces of these end plates, when viewed in a frontal plane, have edge zones laterally adjacent to a substantially flat central area that are more strongly curved than the flat central area. These edge zones are also more strongly mineralized than the central area and are therefore particularly stable. At least one of the prosthesis surfaces intended to bear on a vertebral body surface has a lateral extend reaching into the edge zones. The convex curvature of this prosthesis surface, when viewed in the frontal plane, is at least as great as the corresponding curvature of the surface of the end plates. This ensures that the prosthesis is also supported on the particularly stable edge zones, and these edge zones do not have to be subjected to any substantial removal of material.

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First Claim