Patent ID: 8043335

Claim:
A method, comprising: positioning an implant having an end portion and a body portion within a patient's body such that the body portion is disposed between a pair of adjacent spinous processes; the end portion and body portion disposed along a longitudinal axis of the implant; and wherein, during positioning, the end portion and the body portion are both in a collapsed configuration; expanding the end portion to a first expanded configuration while the body portion is disposed between the pair of spinous processes, wherein in the first expanded configuration the end portion extends farther outwardly from the longitudinal axis than when the end portion is in the collapsed configuration; expanding the body portion to a second expanded configuration while the body portion is disposed between the pair of spinous processes, wherein in the second expanded configuration the body portion extends farther outwardly from the longitudinal axis than when the body portion is in the collapsed configuration; wherein the steps of expanding the end portion and expanding the body portion occur independently of each other.