Patent ID: 6808537
Filing Date: 2004-10-26
Classification: A61B,A61F

Abstract:
An interbody spinal fusion implant for insertion at least in part across at least a surgically corrected height of a disc space between two adjacent vertebral bodies of a spine, said implant comprising:a mid-longitudinal axis; an upper member having a portion adapted for placement toward and into contact with one of the adjacent vertebral bodies, said upper member having at least one opening adapted to communicate with one of the adjacent vertebral bodies, said upper member having a proximal end and a distal end; a lower member having a portion adapted for placement toward and into contact with the other of the adjacent vertebral bodies, said lower member having at least one opening adapted to communicate with the other of the adjacent vertebral bodies, said openings of said upper and lower members being in communication with one another and being adapted to permit growth of bone from adjacent vertebral body to adjacent vertebral body through said implant and being sufficiently sized and located to allow for interbody spinal fusion through said implant, said lower member having a proximal end and a distal end corresponding to said proximal end and said distal end of said upper member, respectively, and a length between said proximal and distal ends, said upper and lower members articulating therebetween about a fixed axis generally transverse to the mid-longitudinal axis and adjacent one of said proximal ends and said distal ends of said upper and lower members to allow for expansion of said implant, said upper and lower members having a first position relative to one another allowing for a collapsed implant height and a second position relative to one another allowing for an increased height; and each of said upper and lower members having side walls, each of said side walls having a length, said side walls being adapted to cooperatively engage one another along at least a portion of the length of said side walls to hold at least a portion of said upper and lower members apart so as to maintain the increased height of said implant and resist the collapse of said implant to the collapsed implant height when said implant is in a final deployed position.