Patent ID: 7354452

Claim:
A method of inserting an interbody fusion implant made of bone, comprising: providing an implant formed of bone and having a body portion with an upper bearing surface and opposite lower bearing surface, said body portion further including a flexible upper flange member and an opposite flexible lower flange member each extending from said body portion, wherein the flexible upper flange member and the flexible lower flange member are each comprised of demineralized bone; accessing the disc space between adjacent vertebrae; inserting the body portion of the implant into the disc space; securing the flexible upper flange member to the body of the upper vertebra; securing the flexible lower flange member to the body of the lower vertebra; and tensioning the flexible upper flange member and the flexible lower flange member before securing at least one of the flexible upper flange member to the body of the upper vertebra and the flexible lower flange member to the body of the lower vertebra.