Patent ID: 8348976

Claim:
An apparatus, comprising: an implant having an arcuate shaped surface configured to contour at least one spinous process of a vertebrae including a first portion, a second portion and a third portion disposed in a longitudinal series and connected in a fixed configuration; the first, second, and third portions of the implant configured relative to each other such that, when the implant is disposed between first and second adjacent vertebrae of a human spinal column, the implant is configured to be disposed with: the first portion disposed adjacent to a pedicle of a first vertebra of a spinal column and extending superiorly from an interspinous process gap formed by adjacent upper and lower spinous processes, associated with the first and second vertebrae on a first lateral side of the vertebrae; the first portion extending more superiorly than any other portion of the implant; the second portion of the implant disposed through the interspinous process gap; the third portion pivotally coupled to a pedicle of the second vertebra and extending inferiorly from the interspinous process gap on a second lateral side of the vertebrae; the implant configured to transfer asymmetrically to the second vertebra at least a portion of a force exerted on the implant from one of the spinous processes.