Patent ID: 7857853

Claim:
An intervertebral spinal implant, comprising: a biocompatible load bearing composite containing no bone-derived particles, including a reconstituted fibrillar collagen having an average length between 0.5 mm and 10 mm, wherein said composite is free of collagen from other sources and contains particulate mineral, wherein said particulate mineral forms a material that has curved surface features, and said composite having a wet compressive strength of at least about 200 N/cm 2 and providing a body sized and configured for implant between adjacent vertebrae, said body having a superior surface configured to frictionally engage one of said vertebrae, and an inferior surface configured to frictionally engage the another of said vertebrae, and at least one opening in said body to receive an osteogenic material and wherein the composite is uncompressed and has a mineral: collagen weight ratio of at least 15:1, and has a bulk density of at least about 1 g/cm 3 .