Patent ID: 8062373

Claim:
An implant comprising: a first member comprising: (1) a first beam having a first limb, a mid-portion, and a second limb; (2) a second beam having a first limb, a mid-portion, and a second limb; (3) a first post having a first end operatively connected to the first limb of the first beam and a second end operatively connected to the first limb of the second beam, the first post having a length defined as the distance between its first and second ends; and, (4) a second post having a first end operatively connected to the second limb of the first beam and a second end operatively connected to the second limb of the second beam, the second post having a length defined as the distance between its first and second ends; a second member that is pivotal with respect to the first member, comprising: (1) a first beam having a first limb, a mid-portion, and a second limb; (2) a second beam having a first limb, a mid-portion, and a second limb; (3) a third post having a first end operatively connected to the first limb of the first beam and a second end operatively connected to the first limb of the second beam, the third post having a length defined as the distance between its first and second ends; and, (4) a fourth post having a first end operatively connected to the second limb of the first beam and a second end operatively connected to the second limb of the second beam, the fourth post having a length defined as the distance between its first and second ends; wherein the first beam of the first member and the first beam of the second member define a first contact surface that contacts the endplate of a first vertebral body; wherein the second beam of the first member and the second beam of the second member define a second contact surface that contacts the endplate of a second vertebral body; wherein the implant is deployable, when positioned within a vertebral space between the first and second vertebral bodies, from a first non-expanded condition where the first contact surface has a first effective footprint area A 1 to a second expanded condition where the first contact surface has a second effective footprint area A 2 , the ratio A 2 /A 1 is at least 1.05; and, wherein the first, second, third and fourth posts are length variable in response to a load put on the implant by the first and second vertebral bodies after deployment of the implant.