Patent ID: 8758407

Claim:
A method for positioning a load-bearing component of an orthopedic implant, comprising: providing a malleable device, the device including a biocompatible sheath extending around and enclosing an internal chamber and a curable material sealed within the internal chamber, the device having a non-rigid form and being transformable to a rigid form after application of a quantity of an initiating energy to the material effective to cure the material; inserting the device with the curable material sealed within the internal chamber to an in vivo location in or adjacent to one or more bones or bony portions where the provision of load-bearing functionality is desired; applying a dose of the initiating energy to the material sealed within the sheath, the dose of energy is effective to effect partial curing of the material; and re-shaping the partially cured device and applying a second dose of initiating energy to complete curing of the material.