Patent ID: 7637954

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: an interbody spinal fusion implant for surgical implantation at least in part within a disc space between two adjacent vertebral bodies in a segment of a human spine, said implant comprising: opposed upper and lower arcuate portions for contacting each of the adjacent vertebral bodies when positioned therein, each of said upper and lower arcuate portions having at least one opening adapted to communicate with one of the adjacent vertebral bodies, said openings of said upper and lower portions being in communication with one another and adapted for permitting for the growth of bone from adjacent vertebral body to adjacent vertebral body through said implant; at least a portion of a helical thread formed on the exterior of each of said opposed arcuate portions for penetrably engaging the adjacent vertebral bodies and to facilitate securing said implant into the spine by at least in part rotating said implant about a longitudinal axis of said implant, said thread having a pitch; and an insertion end for entry into the spine, a trailing end opposite said insertion end, and a length therebetween, said trailing end having a perimeter with opposed sides, said trailing end having an exterior surface spaced apart from said thread, said exterior surface extending from one of said opposed sides to another of said opposed sides of said perimeter, said exterior surface of said trailing end including a characteristic having a structural configuration spaced apart from said thread, said structural configuration being adapted to indicate a rotational orientation of said upper and lower arcuate portions relative to the adjacent vertebral bodies into which said implant is adapted to be inserted; and a tool cooperatively engaged with said implant adapted to indicate a rotational orientation of said openings in said upper and lower arcuate portions relative to the adjacent vertebral bodies into which said implant is adapted to be inserted, the length and pitch of said implant having a ratio relative to one another such that the length of said implant when divided by the pitch of said thread equals an integer, whereby said openings in said upper and lower arcuate portions may be oriented toward the adjacent vertebral bodies into which said implant is adapted to be inserted upon a predetermined number of complete rotations of said implant.