1. A method of treating a spinal structure disorder in a mammalian subject, comprising administering to a spinal structure a blood-derived composition comprising at least two proteins selected form interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor I (sTNF-RI), soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor II (sTNF-RII), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-I), epidermal growth factor (EGF), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), platelet-derived growth factor AB (PDGF-AB), platelet-derived growth factor BB (PDGF-BB), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), transforming growth factor \u03b21 (TGF-\u03b21), and soluble interleukin-1 receptor II (sIL-1RII), wherein the concentration of each protein in the composition is greater than the concentration of the protein in normal blood.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the blood-derived composition is autologous to the subject.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the blood-derived composition comprises:
(a) at least about 10,000 pgml IL1-ra;
(b) at least about 1,200 pgml sTNF-RI; and
(c) a protein selected from sTNF-RII, IGF-I, EGF, HGF, PDGF-AB, PDGF-BB, VEGF, TGF-\u03b21, and sIL-1RII, wherein the selected protein has a concentration higher than the selected protein’s concentration in normal blood.
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the spinal structure is cervical, thoracic, lumbar, or a combination thereof.
5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the spinal structure is a bone structure, a muscle, a nerve, a cartilaginous structure, or a combination thereof.
6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the spinal structure is a bone structure selected from spinal process, transverse process, articular process, vertebral body, or a combination thereof.
7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the disorder is associated with a herniated disc, postherpetic neuralgia, reflex sympathetic dystrophy, spinal stenosis, radiculopathy, bony encroachment, or inflammation of a nerve caused by a viral infection.
8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the treatment ameliorates pain associated with the disorder.
9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the treatment ameliorates inflammation associated with the disorder.
10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises a surgical procedure during which the administering of the blood-derived composition is conducted.
11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises interventional radiography or interventional nuclear radiography.
12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the blood-derived composition is made by a process comprising:
contacting whole blood, a blood fraction, bone marrow aspirate, or a combination thereof with a solid extraction material to generate the blood-derived composition; and
separating the blood-derived composition from the solid extraction material.
13. A method of treating a spinal pain in a mammalian subject, comprising:
administering to the site of spinal pain a blood-derived composition comprising at least two proteins selected form from interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor I (sTNF-RI), soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor II (sTNF-RII), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-I), epidermal growth factor (EGF), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), platelet-derived growth factor AB (PDGF-AB), platelet-derived growth factor BB (PDGF-BB), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), transforming growth factor \u03b21 (TGF-\u03b21), and soluble interleukin-1 receptor II (sIL-1RII), wherein the concentration of each of the at least two proteins in the composition is greater than the concentration of the respective ones of the at least two proteins in normal blood.
14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:
imaging a site of a spinal disorder associated with the spinal pain by radiography to generate an image; and
administering the blood-derived composition to the site of the spinal disorder.
15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the blood-derived composition comprises
(a) at least about 10,000 pgml IL1-ra;
(b) at least about 1,200 pgml sTNF-RI; and
(c) a protein selected from sTNF-RII, IGF-I, EGF, HGF, PDGF-AB, PDGF-BB, VEGF, TGF-\u03b21, and sIL-1RII, and mixtures thereof, wherein the selected protein has a concentration higher than the selected protein’s concentration in normal blood.
16. The method according to claim 13, wherein administering comprises guiding a delivery device containing the blood-derived composition to the site of the spinal disorder with the image.
17. The method according to claim 13, wherein the radiography comprises x-rays, computed tomography (CT), ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), or combinations thereof.
18. The method according to claim 13, wherein the site of the pain is proximate to cervical, thoracic, or lumbar vertebrae.
19. The method according to claim 13, wherein the spinal pain is associated with a herniated disc, postherpetic neuralgia, reflex sympathetic dystrophy, spinal stenosis, osteomyelitis, discitis, wearing down of a facet joint, degenerative disc disease, osteoporosis, Paget’s disease, bony encroachment, or inflammation of a nerve caused by a viral infection.
20. The method according to claim 13, wherein the blood-derived composition is made by a process comprising:
contacting whole blood, a blood fraction, bone marrow aspirate, or a combination thereof with a solid extraction material to generate the blood-derived composition; and
separating the blood-derived composition from the solid extraction material.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A locking threaded fastener comprising:
a fastener body having a threaded portion and an unthreaded portion defining a bore, the fastener body further having a shoulder and defining first and second recesses open through the shoulder and communicating with the bore, the first and second recesses are isolated from the environment surrounding the fastener body;
a single locking element including a coil portion and first and second tangs extending from the coil portion, the locking element located within the bore, the first and second tangs extending into the first and second recesses respectively to engage the fastener body upon rotation of the fastener body, the locking element circumferentially surrounded without interruption by the fastener body; and
a retainer at least partially covering the locking element and retaining the locking element within the bore and the first and second tangs within the first and second recesses respectively.
2. The locking fastener of claim 1 wherein the first and second tangs extend generally tangentially from the coil portion.
3. The locking fastener of claim 1 wherein the retainer snap fits within the fastener body.
4. The locking fastener of claim 1 wherein the retainer is elastic.
5. The locking fastener of claim 1 wherein the retainer is uninterrupted to completely cover the locking element.
6. The locking fastener of claim 1 wherein the first tang is angularly fixed with respect to the fastener body, and the second tang has a range of angular movement with respect to the fastener body.
7. The locking fastener of claim 6 wherein the second recess includes a second recess wall, the second tang adapted to contact the second recess wall during loosening of the locking fastener.
8. The locking fastener of claim 6 wherein the first recess includes a first recess wall, the first tang adapted to contact the first recess wall during tightening and loosening of the locking fastener.
9. The locking threaded fastener of claim 1 wherein the retainer includes a lip retaining the locking element.
10. The locking fastener of claim 1 wherein the retainer defines an aperture having an internal diameter corresponding to the diameter of the threaded portion of the bore.
11. The locking fastener of claim 10 wherein the retainer is elastic and adapted to seal against a threaded member on which the locking fastener is mounted.
12. The locking threaded fastener of claim 9 wherein the retainer wall defines a second shoulder that engages the retainer.