Patent ID: 8409258

Claim:
A method for modulating growth of a target growing vertebral body of a spine, by: inserting a first part between a growth plate of the target vertebral body and an associated intervertebral disc on a first side of the spine and in contact with both said growth plate and said adjacent intervertebral disk; and securing the first part in contact with the growth plate of the vertebral body and the adjacent intervertebral disk by anchoring a second part to the vertebral body, the second part being connected to the first part by a length of material thereby capturing the growth plate between the first part and the vertebral body; the first part being adapted to apply a force on the growth plate of the vertebral body on the first side of the spine as the vertebral body grows, retarding the longitudinal growth of the growth plate on the first side of the vertebra while permitting unrestrained growth of the growth plate on a second side of the spine opposite the first side of the spine.