Patent ID: 9724135
Date: 2017-08-08
CPC Classifications: A61B,A61F

Claim:
1. A minimally invasive posterior arch expansion system configured to expand a spinal canal, the system comprising: an access member that is configured to define a minimally invasive access path along an insertion direction to an implant receiving space that is defined by first and second opposed posterior arch surfaces of a posterior arch portion; a spreading device configured to extend through the minimally invasive access path of the access member along the insertion direction and engage the first and second opposed posterior arch surfaces to thereby widen the implant receiving space such that the first and second posterior arch surfaces move away from each other toward a widened position; and an implant that is sized and configured to be inserted through the access member along the insertion direction and received in the implant receiving space between the first and second opposed posterior arch surfaces, the implant defining a leading end surface, a trailing end surface spaced from the leading end surface along the insertion direction, first and second opposed side surfaces extending from the leading end surface to the trailing end surface, and opposed upper and lower surfaces extending from the first side surface to the second side surface and from the leading end surface to the trailing end surface, the first and second side surfaces configured to abut the first and second opposed posterior arch surfaces, respectively, and the implant including a single first mating member that projects out from the first side surface and a single second mating member that projects out from the second side surface, wherein (i) the first and second mating members are positioned substantially at a midline of the first and second side surfaces along the insertion direction, (ii) a cross-section of the implant between the first and second mating members defines a first dimension from the first side surface at the first mating member to the second side surface at the second mating member that is greater than a second dimension from the upper surface to the lower surface at the cross-section, (iii) the implant has a third dimension from the leading end surface to the trailing end surface that is greater than both the first and second dimensions, (iv) the first and second mating members are configured to mate with recesses formed in the first and second posterior arch surfaces when the implant is implanted into the widened implant receiving space so as to maintain the implant receiving space in the widened position after the spreading device is removed, and (v) the implant includes a leading end and a trailing end, and the first and second side surfaces taper toward each other along the insertion direction from the trailing end to the leading end.