Patent ID: 8535353

Claim:
A method of providing spinal interbody fusion, comprising the steps of: accessing the intradiscal space between two generally opposed upper and lower vertebral bodies; placing an access channel adjacent said vertebral bodies in communication with said intradiscal space; removing nucleus material from said intradiscal space through said access channel; inserting through said access channel and into said intradiscal space an expandable implant, said implant having an upper contact surface engaging the lower surface of said upper vertebral body, a lower contact surface engaging the upper surface of said lower vertebral body and an expandable intermediate structure therebetween, said expandable intermediate structure capable during expansion of moving said upper contact surface and said lower contact surface apart in a direction along the axis of said spine while maintaining said upper contact surface and said lower contact surface in a relatively fixed position against the respective verterbral bodies; expanding said expandable implant within said intradiscal space by expanding said intermediate structure to move said upper contact surface and said lower contact surface to thereby distract and support said vertebral bodies along the axis of said spine; and monitoring the tension in the annulus of the disc between said vertebral bodies during the expansion as an indication of stability of said vertebral bodies and then ending the expansion of said expandable structure upon substantial achievement of said stability.