Patent ID: 11944355
Assignee: FLOSPINE, LLC
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 17:
18. A method for implanting an implant in a space between a superior spinous process and a superior lamina, and an inferior spinous process and an inferior lamina of adjacent vertebrae of a spine, the method comprising:
with the implant in a retracted configuration, inserting the implant into the space such that a proximal superior surface of the implant engages the superior spinous process, a proximal inferior surface of the implant engages the inferior spinous process, and posterior aspects of the superior spinous process and the inferior spinous process remain fully exposed; and
urging the implant to move from the retracted configuration to a deployed configuration by urging a distal superior surface, distal to the proximal superior surface, and a distal inferior surface, distal to the proximal inferior surface, to move apart such that the distal superior surface engages the superior spinous process and/or the superior lamina and the distal inferior surface engages the inferior spinous process and/or the inferior lamina;
wherein:
the implant defines a cavity between the distal superior surface and the distal inferior surface, the cavity having a proximal end and a distal end;
the cavity is shaped such that, in the retracted configuration, the proximal end is wider than the distal end along a superior-inferior direction transverse to the proximal-distal direction; and
urging the implant to move from the retracted configuration to the deployed configuration comprises moving a block distally between the distal superior surface and the distal inferior surface.