Patent ID: 8262735

Claim:
An implantable spinal disk comprising: an external shell including a pair of sidewalls, back wall, front wall, top wall and bottom wall which define a compartment that extends therebetween in the shell, the top wall having a first opening from exterior of the shell into the compartment, the bottom wall having a second opening from exterior of the shell into the compartment; a first endplate including a first base portion, first top portion and at least one first attachment device, the first base portion retained in the compartment by the top wall and extending from a first sidewall to a second sidewall of the pair of sidewalls, the first top portion disposed in the first opening and extending about the first opening to form a top contact surface continuous with an exterior surface of the top wall, the at least one first attachment device extending from the first top portion and configured to penetrate into a first vertebra; a second endplate including a second base portion, second top portion and at least one second attachment device, the second base portion retained in the compartment by the bottom wall and extending from the first sidewall to the second sidewall, the second top portion disposed in the second opening and extending about the second opening to form a bottom contact surface continuous with an exterior surface of the bottom wall, the at least one second attachment device extending from the second top portion and configured to penetrate into a second vertebra; and a core internal component disposed in the compartment and extending from the first sidewall to the second sidewall between the first endplate and the second endplate.