Patent ID: 8409282

Claim:
A device for stabilizing at least one spinal motion segment comprising a first vertebra having a first spinous process and a second vertebra having a second spinous process, the device comprising: an undeployed configuration having an axial dimension and a radial dimension substantially transverse to the axial dimension; a deployed configuration having an axial dimension and a radial dimension substantially transverse to the axial dimension; and wherein the radial dimension of the undeployed configuration is less than the radial dimension in the deployed configuration, the radial dimension is defined at least in part by a plurality of radially expanding members, the radially expanding members comprise linkages, and wherein the device further comprises a plurality of brackets and each bracket has a substantially rigid central portion and two substantially flexible lateral portions, wherein, when the device is in the deployed configuration, at least one of the brackets extends between one of the radially expanding members positioned on a first side of the first spinous process and one of the radially expanding members positioned on a second side of the first spinous process such that the bracket extends transversely across and holds the first spinous process.