Patent ID: 7846184

Claim:
A prosthesis for the repair of a cervical facet joint comprising: a superior component including a first articulating portion and a first mounting portion, said first articulating portion consisting essentially of a first flat articulating surface that extends from said first mounting portion at a fixed angle of about 45°, said first articulating portion being sized and configured for placement between the facets of a cervical facet joint; and an inferior component including a second articulating portion and a second mounting portion, said second articulating portion consisting essentially of a second flat articulating surface that extends from said second mounting portion at a fixed angle of about 135°, said second articulating portion being sized and configured for placement between the facets of the cervical facet joint in an overlapping arrangement with said first articulating portion; said first flat articulating surface and said second flat articulating surface being positionable flatly against one another to permit simultaneous insertion of said first articulating portion and said second articulating portion between the facets of the cervical facet joint; said first mounting portion and said second mounting portion being adapted for posterior attachment to respective first and second lateral mass structures adjacent to the cervical facet joint such that said first flat articulating surface and said second flat articulating surface can slide against one another in more than one direction between the facets of the cervical facet joint.