Patent ID: 8753398
Filing Date: 2014-06-17
Classification: A61B,A61F

Abstract:
1. A method of performing a surgical procedure on a human spine, comprising: removing at least a portion of a disc between two vertebrae of the human spine to create a disc space between the two vertebrae; positioning an upper body and a lower body of an unexpanded intervertebral implant in the disc space between the two vertebrae, wherein the intervertebral implant comprises: advancing the expansion member between the upper body and the lower body; rotating a member with the advancing expansion member around a first axis perpendicular to a second axis extending longitudinally through the expansion member, wherein the first axis is spatially fixed relative to the second axis, wherein rotating the member expands the intervertebral implant along the first axis to increase a height of the intervertebral implant, and wherein increasing the height of the intervertebral implant increases a separation distance between the upper body and the lower body of the intervertebral implant; and maintaining the height of the intervertebral implant at an expanded height, wherein the maximum separation distance between the two vertebrae during the procedure is the separation distance created during expansion of the intervertebral implant.