Patent ID: 7288093

Claim:
An artificial interbody spinal fusion implant for insertion across the height of a disc space and at least in part in between two adjacent vertebral bodies of a human spine, said implant comprising: a leading end for insertion into the spine, a trailing end opposite said leading end, and a mid-longitudinal axis therebetween, at least one of said leading and trailing ends being at least in part curved in a plane parallel with the mid-longitudinal axis; opposed arcuate portions adapted for placement toward and at least in part within the adjacent vertebral bodies and having a distance therebetween defining an implant height greater than the surgically corrected height of the disc space to be fused, said opposed arcuate portions being between said leading end and said trailing end, each of said opposed arcuate portions having at least one opening in communication with one another for permitting for the growth of bone from vertebral body to adjacent vertebral body through said implant; said implant comprising at least in part of an implantation material other than bone; and a bone-engaging protrusion extending from each of said opposed arcuate portions configured to penetrably engage the bone of each of the adjacent vertebral bodies to maintain said implant within the disc space.