Patent ID: 8480744

Claim:
A method for delivering a spinal implant into a vertebral space, comprising: providing a deformable spinal implant; providing a die member defining a passage extending along a longitudinal axis and including a first portion sized to receive the implant while in an initial configuration, wherein the passage is bound by a first surface and an oppositely facing second surface and the die member includes a number of projections extending transversely from at least one of the first and second surfaces and into the passage, wherein the first portion of the passage defines a first transverse width dimension inwardly tapering to a second transverse width defined by a second portion of the passage, the first portion of the passage defining a first transverse height dimension outwardly tapering to a second transverse height dimension defined by the second portion; providing a delivery member defining a cavity and removably engaged with the die member with the cavity generally aligned the passage; inserting the implant into the opening in the die member; displacing the implant relative to the die member and drawing the implant over the number of projections; transitioning the implant from the initial configuration to a deformed configuration in response to the drawing of the implant over the number of projections, the deformed configuration having a reduced lateral profile relative to the initial configuration; and discharging the implant from the die member and into the cavity of the delivery member while in the deformed configuration and selectively retaining the implant in the deformed configuration in the cavity, selectively removing the delivery member from the die member; and discharging the implant from the cavity of the delivery member and into the vertebral space while in the deformed configuration.