Patent ID: 8940050
Filing Date: 2015-01-27
Classification: A61F

Abstract:
1. An implant system for positioning a flexible spacer between adjacent vertebrae, the implant system comprising: a flexible interbody spacer including a spacer body that defines a top surface and a bottom surface each configured to engage one of the adjacent vertebrae, opposed side surfaces extending between the top surface and the bottom surface, a lateral axis extending between the opposed side surfaces and substantially parallel to the top and bottom surfaces, and a plurality of hinge sections that permit the interbody spacer to flex about the lateral axis, the interbody spacer defining a height measured from the top surface to the bottom surface at a location between adjacent ones of the plurality of hinge sections, and the interbody spacer defining a width perpendicular to the height, the width measured from one of the opposed side surfaces to the other of the opposed side surfaces at a location between the adjacent ones of the plurality of hinge sections, the width being greater than the height, and the interbody spacer including a mating surface extending along one of the opposed side surfaces, wherein each of the plurality of hinge sections is defined by a notch that extends into the spacer body from the bottom surface and terminates within the spacer body prior to reaching the top surface; and a guide rail including a guide rail body that defines a proximal end, an opposed distal end, an inner surface that faces either the top or bottom surface of the interbody spacer when the interbody spacer is received by the guide rail, the guide rail body further including a track extending between the proximal end and the distal end along a non-linear path, the mating surface slidably engagable with the track to guide the flexible interbody spacer from the proximal end to the distal end along the non-linear path; wherein the inner surface defines a curvature about an axis that is parallel to the lateral axis when the mating surface is slidably engaged with the track.