Patent ID: 8523909

Claim:
A spinal implant for insertion into an interspinous process space comprising: a) an elongated body portion dimensioned and configured for percutaneous introduction into the interspinous process space, the body portion defining an interior cavity; b) a pair of laterally opposed engagement members mounted for movement between a first position stowed within the interior cavity of the body portion and a second position deployed from the interior cavity of the body portion to engage the spinous process, each engagement member including a central hub defining a common hub axis and an inwardly facing bevel gear, wherein the inwardly facing bevel gears of the two central hubs oppose one another within the interior cavity of the body portion along the hub axis; and c) an elongated drive shaft extending into the interior cavity and mounted for axial rotation about a shaft axis thereof, the drive shaft including a forwardly facing bevel gear for operatively meshing with the two opposed inwardly facing bevel gears of the central hubs, wherein axial rotation of the drive shaft about the shaft axis causes the pair of laterally opposed engagement members to rotate about the hub axis and thereby move between the first and second positions, wherein each engagement member is mounted for rotation about a pin extending along the hub axis which is substantially transverse to the shaft axis.