Patent ID: 8454660

Claim:
A method for restricting flexion in a spine, said method comprising: positioning an upper strap of a tether structure over an upper spinous process and a lower strap of the tether structure over a lower spinous process, wherein the spinous processes are on a pair of adjacent vertebrae, and wherein the upper strap and the lower strap are joined together with a pair of compliance members, and wherein the compliance members provide a force that resists flexion of the upper and the lower spinous processes; and mechanically coupling opposed portions of the tether structure with a cross-member that passes through an interspinous space to inhibit circumferential displacement of the tether structure over time, wherein the cross-member allows extension of the spine to remain substantially unrestricted, and wherein the cross-member is rigid thereby preventing lateral motion between the opposed portions of the tether structure, wherein the compliance members are connected with the cross-member, and wherein one end of the cross-member is fixedly attached to one of the compliance members and another other end is non-fixedly attached to the other compliance member.