Patent ID: 7442208
Filing Date: 2008-10-28
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. An interspinal prosthesis for implantation between a first spinous process and a second spinal process, the prosthesis comprising: a first half comprising a coupling portion and a process portion, the coupling portion having a bore and configured for insertion into the interspinal space between the first spinous process and the second spinal process, the process portion being sized and configured to be placed on one side of the first and second spinous processes and being sized and configured to prevent its advancement into the interspinal space; a second half comprising a coupling portion and a process portion, the coupling portion configured to be received within the bore of the coupling portion of the first half, the process portion being sized and configured to be placed on the other side of the first and second spinous processes and being sized and configured to prevent advancement into the interspinal space; a locking mechanism for axially locking the first and second halves together after at least the coupling portion of the first half has been inserted into the interspinal space; wherein the coupling portion of the first and second halves are sized and configured to be elastically deformable such that the coupling portion in the area between the first and second spinous processes has an unstressed diameter and a deformed diameter, said deformed diameter being between about 10% to about 50% of the unstressed diameter; and wherein one of the first half and the second half includes a plurality of radially extending cams and the other of the first half and the second half includes a plurality of grooves for receiving the plurality of cams when the coupling portion of the second half is received within the bore of the coupling portion of the first half so that rotation of the first half with respect to the second half is prevented.