Patent ID: 8613768

Claim:
A space keeper for vertebrae or intervertebral disks comprising: a tube having a first end, a second end, a longitudinal axis extending from the first end to the second end, and a constant cross-sectional wall thickness over the entire tube from the first end to the second end; a base plate connected with and fixed relative to the first end of the tube, the base plate having a first section extending past the first end of the tube away from the second end of the tube, and a second section extending in a direction towards the second end of the tube and engaging the tube, wherein a longitudinal axis of the base plate is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tube; and a top plate connected with the base plate and having a first curved surface in sliding engagement with a second curved surface of the space keeper, such that the first and second curved surfaces form complementarily curved articulating surfaces providing for rotational movement of the top plate substantially about the longitudinal axis of the base plate and sliding movement to increase or decrease an angle formed between an axis of rotation of the top plate and the longitudinal axis of the base plate.