Patent ID: 7749270

Claim:
An expandable intervertebral implant, comprising: an implant body having a longitudinal axis and being transitionable between an initial configuration and an expanded configuration, said implant body including first and second axial walls spaced apart along a transverse axis and each having opposite end portions spaced apart along said longitudinal axis and a central portion located between said end portions, said implant body including first and second transverse end walls interconnecting said opposite end portions of said first axial wall with said opposite end portions of said second axial wall to substantially maintain said opposite end portions in a non-expanded state, said opposite end portions of said first axial walls positioned along a first plane, said opposite end portions of said second axial wall positioned along a second plane, a distance between said first and second planes defining a maximum non-expanded implant height of said implant body in said initial configuration at said opposite end portion of said axial walls, said central portion of at least one of said axial walls positioned inward of a corresponding one of said first and second planes to define a recessed region when said implant body is in said initial configuration, said recessed region comprising a concave curvature extending from said maximum non-expanded implant height at said opposite end portions of said axial walls and inwardly along said transverse axis to define a minimum non-expanded implant height of said implant body at said central portions of said axial walls in said initial configuration; and an expansion member co-acting with and engaging said at least one of said axial walls to transition said implant body from said initial configuration to said expanded configuration, said at least one of said axial walls being flexibly deformed wherein said recessed region is outwardly expanded generally along said transverse axis to increase said implant height along said central portion while substantially maintaining said end portions in said non-expanded state to substantially maintain said implant height adjacent said end portions, said expansion member engaged with said central portion of each of said first and second axial walls in said expanded configuration with at least a portion of said recessed region extending outwardly beyond said plane when said implant body is in said expanded configuration.