Patent ID: 7887565
Filing Date: 2011-02-15
Classification: A61B,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A system for spacing apart an upper vertebral body and a lower vertebral body adjacent a disc space in a human spine, the system comprising: a first distractor having a proximal end, a distal end, and a first thickness adapted to separate the upper vertebral body from the lower vertebral body along the first thickness, the first distractor being configured to contact at least a portion of the endplates of the upper vertebral body and the lower vertebral body; a second distractor having a proximal end, a distal end, and a second thickness that is greater than the first thickness, the second distractor adapted to separate the upper vertebral body from the lower vertebral body along the second thickness, the second distractor being configured to contact at least a portion of the endplates of the upper vertebral body and the lower vertebral body; and a distraction maintenance device having an upper surface, a lower surface, an insertion end, a trailing end, a mid-longitudinal axis extending through the trailing end and the insertion end, and a length extending between the trailing end and the insertion end, and a plurality of non-threaded ratchets on the upper and lower surfaces, the distraction maintenance device having a height adapted to maintain a space between the upper vertebral body and the lower vertebral body, the plurality of non-threaded ratchets on the upper surface adapted to contact the endplate of the upper vertebral body, the plurality of non-threaded ratchets on the lower surface adapted to contact the endplate of the lower vertebral body, and each ratchet of the plurality of non-threaded ratchets having a distal sloped surface facing the insertion end and a proximal sloped surface facing the trailing end, the distal sloped surface adapted to facilitate insertion of the distraction maintenance device between the upper and lower vertebral bodies, the proximal sloped surface adapted to resist expulsion of the distraction maintenance device from between the upper and lower vertebral bodies, the distal sloped surface and the proximal sloped surface intersecting one another.