Patent ID: 8888852

Claim:
An artificial spinal joint for creating at least a portion of a coupling between a superior vertebra and an inferior vertebra comprising: an anterior joint replacement component including an upper retaining member having an upper endplate contact surface adapted to contact an endplate of the superior vertebra, and an upper joint surface; a lower retaining member having a lower endplate contact surface adapted to contact an endplate of the inferior vertebra and an integrally formed lower joint surface, wherein the upper joint surface is in contact with the lower joint surface and the upper and lower joint surfaces are slidably engaged; a bridge having a proximal end and a distal end, the bridge coupled to the anterior joint replacement component at the proximal end; and a posterior joint replacement component coupled to the distal end of the bridge and sized to extend posteriorly outside of a disc space defined between the endplates of the superior and inferior vertebrae and including an upper articulation face fit together in articulating engagement with a lower articulation face.