A surgical access portal comprising: a sidewall defining and substantially enclosing an interior channel, the sidewall comprising a first sidewall section having a proximal end and a distal end, and an opposed second sidewall section, having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the first sidewall section is slidingly engaged with the second sidewall section such that the first sidewall section slides longitudinally with respect to the second sidewall section while remaining longitudinally connected to a portion of the second sidewall section, and wherein, the first sidewall section is configured to move from a first position where the distal ends of the first and second sidewall section are substantially coterminous in that they extend about the same amount such that they lie in a plane that is substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of the interior channel, to a second position, where the distal ends of the first sidewall section is raised with respect to the second portion of the distal end of the second sidewall section, - wherein the distal end of the first sidewall section is configured to abut a first bone portion, and the distal end of the second sidewall section is configured to abut a second bone portion, wherein the first portion of the distal end of the portal is moved from the first position to the second position, and wherein the proximal end of the first sidewall section section has a continuous outer perimeter that completely encloses the interior channel. a sidewall defining and substantially enclosing an interior channel, the sidewall comprising a first sidewall section having a proximal end and a distal end, and an opposed second sidewall section, having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the first sidewall section is slidingly engaged with the second sidewall section such that the first sidewall section slides longitudinally with respect to the second sidewall section while remaining longitudinally connected to a portion of the second sidewall section, and wherein, the first sidewall section is configured to move from a first position where the distal ends of the first and second sidewall section are substantially coterminous in that they extend about the same amount such that they lie in a plane that is substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of the interior channel, to a second position, where the distal ends of the first sidewall section is raised with respect to the second portion of the distal end of the second sidewall section, - wherein the distal end of the first sidewall section is configured to abut a first bone portion, and the distal end of the second sidewall section is configured to abut a second bone portion, wherein the first portion of the distal end of the portal is moved from the first position to the second position, and - wherein the distal end of the first sidewall section is configured to abut a first bone portion, and the distal end of the second sidewall section is configured to abut a second bone portion, wherein the first portion of the distal end of the portal is moved from the first position to the second position, and wherein the proximal end of the first sidewall section section has a continuous outer perimeter that completely encloses the interior channel.