Patent ID: 7691146
Filing Date: 2010-04-06
Classification: A61F

Abstract:
1. A method of inserting an implant comprising: a. accessing a lateral side of an upper vertebral body and a lower vertebral body; b. using a tool to cut a first lateral keel receiving channel into the upper vertebral body from a lateral approach, wherein the first keel receiving channel extends between a first lateral side and a second lateral side of the vertebral body and simultaneously using the tool to cut a second lateral keel receiving channel into the lower vertebral body from a lateral approach, wherein the second keel receiving channel is substantially parallel to the first keel receiving channel, wherein the tool does not have a power supply; and c. inserting a first keel of an implant into the first keel receiving channel and a second keel of the implant into the second keel receiving channel from a lateral approach, wherein the implant includes a spacer having upper and lower cylindrically curved surfaces oriented perpendicular to one another; wherein the implant comprises a first end plate having a first outer surface and an opposing first inner surface, the first inner surface comprising a first socket having a concave hemi-cylindrical surface bounded by a pair of planar end surfaces, each of the end surfaces extending substantially perpendicular to the inner surface, wherein the end surfaces prevent motion of the first end plate relative to the spacer about a first axis extending substantially parallel to the end surfaces and wherein the concave hemi-cylindrical surface permits motion of the first end plate relative to the upper cylindrically curved surface of the spacer about a second axis substantially perpendicular to the first axis, and wherein the first keel extends from the outer surface of the first end plate substantially parallel to the second axis; and wherein the implant comprises a second end plate having a second outer surface and an opposing second inner surface, the second inner surface comprising a second socket having a concave hemi-cylindrical surface bounded by a pair of planar end surfaces, each of the end surfaces extending substantially perpendicular to the inner surface and the second axis, wherein the end surfaces prevent motion of the second end plate relative to the spacer about the second axis and wherein the concave hemi-cylindrical surface permits motion of the second end plate relative to the lower cylindrically curved surface of the spacer about the first axis, and wherein the second keel extends from the outer surface of the second end plate substantially parallel to the second axis.