Patent ID: 8480718

Claim:
An orthopedic implant device, comprising: a biocompatible sheath; a curable material having a non-rigid form that is pre-operatively contained and sealed in the sheath; and a sealed package containing the biocompatible sheath and the curable material within the biocompatible sheath in a sterilized condition; and a pressurizeable balloon positioned within the sheath and having a fluid-infusing port passing through the sheath, the balloon operable, before the curable material is hardened, to receive a fluid to pressurize the balloon, thereby increasing the size of the device in at least one dimension, wherein the device is flexible and deformable before and during implantation within a patient; wherein the curable material is configured to be reshaped or repositioned following an application of an initiating energy; wherein the curable material is configured to have a working time of flexibility of from about 1 minute to about 60 minutes prior to the curable material fully transforming to a rigid form after application of the initiating energy to the material; wherein the sealed package is configured to prevent exposure of the curable material to application of the initiating energy and wherein the device becomes a bone anchor upon curing of the photocurable material.