Patent ID: 7410501

Claim:
An interbody spinal fusion implant for implantation from at least in part an anterior approach at least in part within and across the height of a disc space between two adjacent vertebral bodies of an adult human spine, said implant comprising: a body having a leading end for insertion first into the disc space, a trailing end opposite said leading end, and a mid-longitudinal axis along the length of said body, said body having a base proximate said leading end, an upper portion adapted to contact one of the adjacent vertebral bodies, a lower portion opposite said upper portion adapted to contact another one of the adjacent vertebral bodies, and at least one side portion between said upper and lower portions, each of said upper, lower, and side portions extending from said base of said body and being spaced apart from one another to form a hollow interior therebetween, said hollow interior being configured to hold at least some bone growth promoting material therein, said upper and lower portions configured to permit for the growth of bone from adjacent vertebral body to adjacent vertebral body through said body of said implant, each of said upper, lower, and side portions configured to move at least in part in a direction away from the mid-longitudinal axis of said body allowing for expansion of the height and at least a portion of the width of said body, said upper, lower, and side portions having a collapsed position relative to one another allowing for a collapsed height and width of said body and an expanded position relative to one another allowing for an expanded height and width of said body, the expanded height and width of said body being greater than the collapsed height and width of said body, respectively; and an expander at least in part within said hollow interior, said expander configured to contact an instrument adapted to be inserted through said trailing end of said body to move said expander from a position proximate said trailing end when said body is in the collapsed position away from said trailing end and toward said base of said body to place said body in the expanded position, said expander adapted to contact and to move said upper, lower, and side portions away from the mid-longitudinal axis of said body, said expander configured to expand the width of said body on one side by contacting only one of said side portions of said body, said upper, lower, and side portions of said body adapted to cooperatively engage said expander to locate said expander at a location along the length of said body between and away from each of said leading and trailing ends and to resist dislodgment of said expander from that location when said implant is in use, said expander adapted to hold at least a portion of said upper, lower, and side portions apart so as to maintain the expanded height and width of said body and to resist the collapse of said body to the collapsed body height and width when said body is in the expanded position.