Patent ID: 8298286

Claim:
A vertebral augmentation system comprising: a biocompatible mesh sheet having a first end and a second end and including: a plurality of first strands, the first strands being elastic strands of an elastic material and having a first end and a second end, the first strands having a first length measured between the first and second ends when in an unstretched condition and having a second length measured between the first and second ends when the elastic material is stretched to a stretched condition, a plurality of second strands, the second strands being inelastic strands of an inelastic material and having a first end and a second end, the second strands having a first length measured between the first and second ends when the second strands are slack, the second strands being more bent when the inelastic second strands are slack, the second strands having a second length measured between the first and second ends when the second strands are taut, the inelastic second strands being relatively less bent when the strands are taut, a first interface portion adapted to contact a first vertebral bone, and a second interface portion adapted to contact a second vertebral bone, wherein in response to loading applied when the first vertebral bone moves relative to the second vertebral bone, the distance between the first and second ends of the plurality of elastic first strands increases as a result of elastic stretching and the distance between the first and second ends of the plurality of inelastic second strands increases as a result of straightening as the slack decreases and as the second strands become more taut such that the second strands create a stop-limit on the amount of movement of the mesh sheet and on the amount of stretch of the plurality of elastic first strands in a manner that provides the mesh sheet with a non-linear elastic behavior when the first vertebral bone moves relative to the second vertebral bone.