Patent ID: 8062366

Claim:
An expandable medical implant for supporting bone structures, the implant having an overall implant height adjustable along a longitudinal axis, the implant comprising: a first implantable member having a first outer end, a first inner end, and a first main body extending therebetween, the first outer end being configured to cooperatively engage a first bone structure when implanted in a patient's body, the first main body defining the longitudinal axis; a second implantable member having a second outer end, a second inner end, and a second main body extending therebetween, the second outer end being configured to cooperatively engage a second bone structure when implanted in the patient's body, the second inner end being configured to receive the first inner end of the first implantable member, the second implantable member being moveable along the longitudinal axis relative to the first implantable member; and a nonthreaded implantable third member disposed on only one of the first and second implantable members when implanted in the patient's body, the nonthreaded implantable third member having an outwardly facing surface and an inwardly facing surface, the inwardly facing surface having an inner wall with an annularly extending recess formed therein, wherein one of the first and second main bodies includes a plurality of teeth and the other of the first and second main bodies includes at least one tooth, wherein at least a portion of one of the first and second main bodies is elastically deformable to selectively engage and disengage the at least one tooth and the plurality of teeth, the elastically deformable portion having an outwardly facing surface portion with a radially extended curved nub, wherein the at least one tooth and the plurality of teeth are shaped to deform the elastically deformable portion to selectively engage and disengage the at least one tooth and the plurality of teeth when both increasing and when decreasing the overall implant height by moving the second member relative to the first member along the longitudinal axis when the implant is implanted and positioned between the first and second bone structures, the non-threaded implantable third member being translatable in the direction of the longitudinal axis, the curved nub being selectively receivable within the recess of the third implantable member such that the third implantable member selectively inhibits deformation of the elastically deformable portion in a manner that inhibits relative axial movement of the second and first implantable members and an increase in the overall implant height when the implant is implanted and positioned between the first and second bone structures, wherein the curved nub has a first profile and the at least one tooth and each of the plurality of teeth have a second profile, the first profile being different than the second profile.