Patent ID: 7763078

Claim:
An implant with an elongated body extending along a longitudinal axis and positionable in a spinal disc space comprising: a convexly curved upper surface orientable toward an endplate of an upper vertebra; a convexly curved lower surface orientable toward an endplate of a lower vertebra; a leading end portion and an opposite trailing end portion; an at least partially convexly curved anterior sidewall including an anteriorly-facing surface extending between the leading end portion and the trailing end portion, the anteriorly-facing surface including a maximally anterior portion defining a maximum width of the elongated body, a first anteriorly-facing convexly curved surface portion defining a first convex curve extending from the leading end portion to the maximally anterior portion, and a second anteriorly-facing convexly curved surface portion defining a second convex curve extending from the trailing end portion to the maximally anterior portion; and a posterior sidewall extending between the leading end portion and the trailing end portion; wherein the body includes a height between the upper and lower surfaces corresponding to a desired disc space height between the upper vertebral endplate and the lower vertebral endplate; and wherein the leading end portion is structured for insertion into the disc space in an at least partially collapsed condition and the height is sized to restore the collapsed disc space to the desired disc space height as the body is inserted in the collapsed disc space; and wherein the height of the implant increases from the leading end portion to a location near its center; and wherein the height of the implant at the location at its center defines a maximum height of the implant, and wherein the implant defines a varying height between the upper and lower surfaces along a length of the implant between the leading and trailing end portions, the varying height of the implant being symmetrical relative to a transverse axis passing through the location of the implant defining the maximum height.