Patent ID: 7637911

Claim:
A method of replacing at least a portion of an intervertebral disc of an intervertebral disc space of a spinal column, the intervertebral disc space defined at least by respective endplates of first and second adjacent vertebral bones, the method comprising: inserting at least one intervertebral disc replacement trial into the intervertebral disc space to distract same in a direction along a longitudinal axis of the spinal column; providing first and second members of an intervertebral disc replacement device as a single unit by way of an intervening insertion plate and an insertion handle that is adapted to detachably engage the insertion plate in order to manipulate the first and second members as a single unit, such that the first and second members may be at least one of inserted into and moved within the intervertebral disc space without substantially changing their orientation with respect to one another; simultaneously inserting the first and second members of the intervertebral disc replacement device into the intervertebral disc space of the spinal column, the first member including a first articulation surface having a first curved surface and the second member including a second articulation surface having a second curved surface capable of articulating with the first curved surface, wherein the first and second articulation surfaces of the respective first and second members of the intervertebral disc replacement device are in substantial registration with one another during their simultaneous insertion into the intervertebral disc space; fixing the first member to the first vertebral bone and the second member to the second vertebral bone while the first and second members remain as the single unit by way of the insertion plate; and causing first and second vertebral bones to move with respect to each other, such that the first and second members articulate with respect to one another.