Patent ID: 7766967

Claim:
An intervertebral disc nucleus replacement implant configured to reside within an intervertebral disc nucleus space, the implant comprising: a centrally disposed, core support structure comprising a solid, rotatable member, the rotatable member being rotatable between a first orientation and a second orientation; an elastic body formed separate from the centrally disposed, core support structure and comprising a centrally-disposed chamber with a center position, the rotatable member being disposed within the centrally-disposed chamber of the elastic body and intersecting the center position thereof, wherein the elastic body comprises a biocompatible material at least partially surrounding and engaging the core support structure, the elastic body being sized and configured to at least partially, permanently fill and conform to the intervertebral disc nucleus space when the implant is in operative position therein; and wherein when the rotatable member is in the first orientation, the elastic body is collapsed in a collapsed height configuration of height H 1 to facilitate insertion of the nucleus replacement implant into the intervertebral disc nucleus space, and when the rotatable member is in the second orientation, the elastic body is expanded in an operative, extended height configuration of height H 2 , wherein H 2 >H 1 , to facilitate use of the nucleus replacement implant as a prosthetic intervertebral disc nucleus replacement, and wherein the rotatable member rotates between the first orientation and the second orientation without rotating the elastic body.