Patent ID: 7857852

Claim:
An artificial disc to replace a damaged spinal disc in a spinal column, said artificial disc comprising: a resilient core having an upper surface and a lower surface; an upper retaining member having an outer surface engageable with a first vertebra of the spinal column and an inner surface immovably affixed to said upper surface of said resilient core; and a lower retaining member having an outer surface engageable with a second vertebra of the spinal column and an inner surface immovably affixed to said lower surface of said resilient core; one of said upper and lower retaining members having an opening extending through said outer and inner surfaces of said one of said upper and lower retaining members, said opening being located between the first and second vertebrae when said outer surfaces of said upper and lower retaining members engage the first and second vertebrae, said resilient core deflecting toward said opening extending through said outer and inner surfaces of said one of said upper and lower retaining members upon relative movement between said upper and lower retaining members.