Patent ID: 7887588

Claim:
An interbody spinal fusion device for facilitating fusion between adjacent vertebrae of a human spine, the interbody spinal fusion device comprising: a pair of bone-engaging plate members adapted to engage respective ones of the vertebrae, and to be accommodated therebetween, for maintaining the respective vertebrae in a predetermined spaced apart relationship, the interbody fusion device having an anterior end distal from a posterior end, the bone-engaging plate members each having; a support plate configured to communicate intimately with an end plate of an associated one of the adjacent vertebrae, the support plate being substantially planar in a horizontal plane and having an outer surface that is adapted to contact the associated vertebra and an inner surface adapted to be directed toward the other of the adjacent vertebrae, the support plate having apertures therethrough and at least one longitudinal support plate portion extending substantially through the support plate from the anterior end thereof to the posterior end thereof, and a generally curved template disposed at the anterior end of the support plate and having a first template posterior surface extending substantially orthogonal with respect to the horizontal plane of the support plate in the direction of the outer surface of the support plate, the first template posterior surface arranged for communicating with a substantially lateral anterior cortical surface portion of the associated vertebra, the template further having an anterior surface distal to the posterior surface and terminating at the anterior end of the bone-engaging plate member, the template further including at least two tabs that are integrally formed, and coplanar, with the anterior surface of the template, and arranged to extend in the direction of the inner surface of the support plate; a support strut interposed between the respective inner surfaces of the bone-engaging plate members, said support strut being arranged to extend substantially parallel to the longitudinal support plate portions and to be guided by the tabs, the tabs being spaced apart to define an opening that accommodates the support strut, the support strut being adapted to maintain the bone-engaging plate members apart in a predetermined spatial relationship wherein a distance between the respective inner surfaces proximate the anterior end is greater than the distance proximate the posterior end, whereby a substantially natural lordosis of the human spine is maintained, there being formed channels on either side of said support strut arranged to communicate with the vertebrae via respective ones of the apertures through each of the support plates of the bone-engaging members; and bone graft material packed in the channels, the bone graft material communicating with the vertebrae via the apertures through each of the support plates.