An orthopedic stabilizing device for placement in an interosseous space defined by adjacent bony surfaces, comprising: a deformable monolithic body having a distal end and a proximal end, an upper bone contact structure and a lower bone contact structure, a locator arm more proximate the distal end, a locator arm more proximate the proximal end, and a formable load-bearing column disposed between said locator arms, characterized in that each locator arm being joined to a respective upper bone contact structure and a lower bone contact structure by a plastically deformable joint, each of said locator arms being substantially inflexible from the deformable joint at the upper bone contact structure to the deformable joint at the lower bone contact structure and rotatable about said deformable joints, said upper bone contact structure being movable relative to said lower bone contact surface about said deformation joints, an upper partial column of said formable column projecting in a fixed direction from said upper bone contact structure and a lower partial column of said formable column projecting in a fixed direction from said lower bone contact structure, said body being expandable along a height axis between a first smaller height to a second larger expanded height by the differential movement between said upper bone contact structure and said lower bone contact structure, said column not being formed at the first height and operative at the second height to move said upper partial column and said lower partial column into alignment and engagement with each other to form said load-bearing column along the height axis that spans the distance between said upper bone contact structure and said lower bone contact structure. a deformable monolithic body having a distal end and a proximal end, an upper bone contact structure and a lower bone contact structure, a locator arm more proximate the distal end, a locator arm more proximate the proximal end, and a formable load-bearing column disposed between said locator arms, characterized in that each locator arm being joined to a respective upper bone contact structure and a lower bone contact structure by a plastically deformable joint, each of said locator arms being substantially inflexible from the deformable joint at the upper bone contact structure to the deformable joint at the lower bone contact structure and rotatable about said deformable joints, said upper bone contact structure being movable relative to said lower bone contact surface about said deformation joints, an upper partial column of said formable column projecting in a fixed direction from said upper bone contact structure and a lower partial column of said formable column projecting in a fixed direction from said lower bone contact structure, said body being expandable along a height axis between a first smaller height to a second larger expanded height by the differential movement between said upper bone contact structure and said lower bone contact structure, said column not being formed at the first height and operative at the second height to move said upper partial column and said lower partial column into alignment and engagement with each other to form said load-bearing column along the height axis that spans the distance between said upper bone contact structure and said lower bone contact structure.