Patent ID: 7608078

Claim:
A system comprising: a vertebral implant comprising: at least one outer tubular assembly threadedly engaged with an inner tubular assembly, each of the at least one outer tubular assembly and the inner tubular assembly including parallel bone engagement surfaces, an instrument comprising: an axle having proximal and distal ends and an axle axis defined between the proximal and distal ends; a gear assembly comprising a plurality of gears connected to the proximal end of the axle and engaged with the inner tubular assembly with a set of radially spaced pins, the gear assembly adapted to vertically displace the inner tubular assembly with respect to the at least one outer tubular assembly to expand the vertebral implant; and a fastener sized to extend into only one through aperture in an outer wall of the at least one outer tubular assembly, wherein the inner tubular assembly is vertically displaced without extending the gear assembly into the at least one outer tubular assembly, wherein the fastener prevents the at least one outer tubular assembly from rotating relative to the instrument when the gear assembly vertically displaces the inner tubular assembly with respect to the at least one outer tubular assembly to expand the vertebral implant.