Patent ID: 8292930

Claim:
A tethering device to treat a spinal deformity comprising: a variable length elongated member with first and second sections, the elongated member having an expandable section to allow the elongated member to be extendable from a first length to a second length with the first section being displaceable away from the second section, said expandable section comprising coils defined by a helically wound material having a uniform cylindrical cross section, the coils being configured to separate as a patient grows, wherein the first section, the second section and the coils each have the same diameter; a tether attached at a first point to the first section and attached at a second point to the second section; an axis extending directly between the first and second points, the first and second points being spaced apart along the axis by a first distance; the tether including a length that is greater than the first distance to attach to a vertebral member that is offset from the axis; the tether configured to apply a force towards the axis when the elongated member moves from the first length towards the second length.