Patent ID: 7156875

Claim:
An artificial interbody spinal implant for linear insertion at least in part across the height of a disc space between adjacent vertebral bodies of a human spine, the vertebral bodies having an anterior aspect and a posterior aspect, said implant comprising: a leading end for insertion first into the disc space, a trailing end opposite said leading end, and therebetween a length along a mid-longitudinal axis of said implant, said implant being non-threaded and adapted for linear insertion in a direction along the mid-longitudinal axis of said implant, said leading end being asymmetrical, less than half of said asymmetric leading end being along a line perpendicular to the mid-longitudinal axis of said implant in a plane dividing said implant into an upper half and a lower half; opposed portions between said leading and trailing ends adapted to be placed at least in part within the disc space to contact and support the adjacent vertebral bodies, said opposed portions each having an arcuate portion, said arcuate portions being arcs of the same circle, said opposed portions being spaced apart to have a height greater than the restored height of the disc space, said implant being formed at least in part of a material other than bone, said material comprising at least one of surgical quality titanium and its alloys, cobalt chrome alloy, tantalum, any metal or alloy suitable for the intended purpose, any ceramic material suitable for the intended purpose, and any plastic or composite material suitable for the intended purpose; an interior facing side wall, an exterior facing side wall opposite said interior side wall, and a width therebetween, said width of said implant being less than approximately one-half of the maximum width of the adjacent vertebral bodies into which said implant is adapted to be inserted, said interior and exterior side walls being between said opposed portions and said leading and trailing ends, said interior side wall adapted to be oriented toward another implant when inserted within the disc space; a first distance as measured from said leading end to a plane perpendicular to and bisecting the length along the mid-longitudinal axis of said implant that is greater than a second distance as measured from said perpendicular plane to the junction of said leading end and said exterior side wall; and a third distance as measured from the junction of said leading end and said interior side wall to said perpendicular plane that is greater than said second distance, said first distance being less than said third distance.