Patent ID: 8216276

Claim:
A spinal implant comprising: a first arm assembly comprising first and second arms and a first intermediate section disposed between and connecting the first and second arms; the first and second arms extending in generally opposite directions and the first intermediate section disposed generally transverse to the first and second arms; a second arm assembly comprising third and fourth arms and a second intermediate section disposed between and connecting the third and fourth arms; the third and fourth arms extending in generally opposite directions and the second intermediate section disposed generally transverse to the third and fourth arms; the implant movable from a first insertion configuration to a second deployed configuration by pivoting the second arm assembly relative to the first arm assembly about a pivot axis so that the first and second intermediate sections rotate relative to each other; wherein, in the first configuration: the first and third arms extend in the same general direction in spaced relation to each other; the second and fourth arms extend in the same general direction in spaced relation to each other; a distal tip of the first arm is disposed closer to the third arm than the fourth arm; a distal tip of the second arm is disposed closer to the fourth arm than the third arm; the intermediate sections of the first and second arm assemblies overlap when viewed along the pivot axis; wherein, in the second configuration: the first and fourth arms extend in the same general direction and form a lower saddle for receiving a first spinous process of a pair of adjacent spinous processes; the second and third arms extend in the same general direction and form an upper saddle for receiving a second spinous process of the pair of adjacent spinous processes; a distal tip of the first arm is disposed closer to the fourth arm than the third arm; a distal tip of the second arm is disposed closer to the third arm than the fourth arm; the intermediate sections of the first and second arm assemblies overlap when viewed along the pivot axis.