Patent ID: 6896680

Claim:
A guard for use in human spinal surgery across a disc space between two adjacent vertebral bodies, comprising: a body having a leading end and an opposite trailing end, said body having a first portion and a second portion in pivotal relationship to one another proximate said leading end between an open position and a closed position, said first and second portions having at least in part opposed interior arcuate portions, respectively, said first and second portions defining an opening for providing a protected pathway to the disc space and the adjacent vertebral bodies, said opposed interior arcuate portions being adapted to guide therethrough a drill sized to form an implantation space across the disc space and at least in part into the adjacent vertebral bodies; and at least one disc space penetrating extension extending from said leading end of said body adapted for insertion at least in part into the disc space, said extension having a first portion extending from said first portion of said body, said first portion of said extension having a contact surface adapted to bear against one of the adjacent endplates of the adjacent vertebral bodies, said extension having a second portion extending from said second portion of said body, said second portion of said extension having a contact surface adapted to bear against the other of the adjacent endplates of the adjacent vertebral bodies, said contact surfaces of said first and second portions being in pivotal relationship to one another from an insertion position to a deployed position to move the adjacent vertebral bodies apart upon movement of said first and second portions of said body from the open position to the closed position, said contact surfaces of said first and second portions being pivotal about an axis that passes through at least a portion of the pathway to the disc space and the adjacent vertebral bodies.