Patent ID: 8372146

Claim:
A distensible ligament system, comprising: a ligament having a first span and a second span extending from said first span; a first anchor including a first receiver, said first anchor being structured for anchoring into a first bone tissue location, wherein said first receiver is structured to secure said first span to said first anchor; and a second anchor having a second receiver, said second anchor being structured for anchoring into a second bone tissue location, wherein said second receiver is structured to variably secure said second span to said second anchor such that a portion of said second span extends away from said first anchor and said second anchor, and wherein said second receiver is structured to perform an in vivo release of said portion of said second span when said second span is subjected to a tension exceeding a predetermined limit such that said portion of said second span is moved between said first and second anchors, wherein said second span comprises an alternating plurality of nodes and a corresponding plurality of segments, said plurality of segments and said plurality of nodes increasing in transverse dimension with increasing distance from said first span.