Patent ID: 7749269

Claim:
A system for placing an implant between an endplate of an upper vertebra and an endplate of a lower vertebra comprising: a trial instrument set with at least two trial instruments of different sizes, each trial instrument comprising: an upper surface orientable toward the upper vertebra, a lower surface orientable toward the lower vertebra, and a leading end portion with segments that diverge from the leading end to meet the upper surface and the lower surface respectively; and an implant with an elongated body having a length extending along a longitudinal axis and positionable in a spinal disc space, comprising: an upper surface orientable toward the upper vertebra, a lower surface orientable toward the lower vertebra, a leading end portion structured for insertion between the endplates of the upper and lower vertebra and an opposite trailing end portion, an at least partially convexly curved anterior sidewall including an anteriorly-facing surface extending between the leading end portion and the trailing end portion, the anteriorly-facing surface defining a maximally anterior portion, a first anteriorly-facing convexly curved surface portion extending between the leading end portion and the maximally anterior portion, and a second anteriorly-facing convexly curved surface portion extending between the trailing end portion and the maximally anterior portion, and a posterior sidewall extending between the leading end portion and the trailing end portion; and wherein at least one of the upper surface and the lower surface are curved such that a height of the implant at a location at its center defines a maximum height of the implant, and wherein the implant defines a varying height between the upper and lower surfaces along the length of the implant between the leading and trailing end portions, the varying height of the implant being symmetrical relative to a transverse axis passing through the location of the implant defining the maximum height.