Patent ID: 8241362

Claim:
A lumbar disc replacement apparatus for posterior implantation in the disc space between a patient's first vertebra and adjacent vertebra comprising: a lower implant with an upper surface and a lower surface sized and shaped for positioning within the disc space of the first vertebra and adjacent vertebra; an upper implant with an upper surface and a lower surface and shaped for positioning within the disc space of the first vertebra and adjacent vertebra; wherein the upper implant is slideably engaged with the lower implant; wherein the slideable engagement of the upper and lower implants is limited by stops to prevent the upper implant from sliding out of engagement with the lower implant; wherein the lower implant has an anchor rail with a base, a midbody and a top end, with the base of the anchor rail attached to the lower implant, and the top end of the anchor rail configured for projecting outside of the disc space; wherein the upper implant has a front end and back end, and the upper implant has a central longitudinal passage disposed through the upper implant from the front end to the back end; wherein the lower implant has a front end and a back end, a bottom section and a top section, the top section of the lower implant rotatably engaged with the bottom section of the lower implant; wherein the midbody of the anchor rail is attached to a front end of the lower implant and the base of the anchor rail is attached to a back end of the lower implant, with a guide rail formed on the anchor rail between the base and the midbody, and the guide rail is disposed through the central longitudinal passage of the upper implant to allow the upper implant to be slideably engaged along the guide rail; and wherein a gear mechanism rotatably engages the top section and the bottom section of the lower implant.