Patent ID: 7824444
Filing Date: 2010-11-02
Classification: A61F

Abstract:
1. A prosthetic implant to at least partially support adjoining vertebrae in a spinal column, said prosthetic implant comprising a substantially spherical or ellipsoidal body and single expandable component, said spherical or ellipsoidal body including a top portion and a bottom portion, said single expandable component at least partially positioned between said top and bottom portions, said top and bottom portions formed of a non-expandable material, said top and bottom portions designed to maintain a substantially same size and shape when said single expandable component is expanded at least a portion of said single expandable component designed to expand radially outwardly from said spherical or ellipsoidal body to at least partially form a stabilizer, said single expandable component designed to increase in surface area and have an increased sized perimeter when said single expandable component is expanded from an non-expanded state to an expanded state to at least partially form said stabilizer, said stabilizer in said expanded state having a perimeter that is greater than a perimeter of said top and bottom portions of said spherical or ellipsoidal body, said stabilizer positioned about a central axis of said substantially spherical or ellipsoidal body, said stabilizer being substantially disc shaped.