Patent ID: 8277492

Claim:
A posterior spinal implant, comprising a barrier for covering a spinal portion, the barrier having a length parallel to a longitudinal axis and a width transverse to the longitudinal axis, the barrier having rigid segments and pliable segments in an alternating configuration with one another to resemble the anatomic structure of a natural rigid lamina alternating with a pliable ligamentum flavum, the rigid segments having a length parallel to the width of the barrier and the pliable segments having a length parallel to the width of the barrier such that the rigid segments are elongated perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and the pliable segments are elongated perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, wherein the rigid segments include modular rigid mesh strips and the pliable segments include modular pliable mesh strips, the modular rigid mesh strips and the modular pliable mesh strips being discrete strips from one another, and the modular rigid mesh strips and the modular pliable mesh strips being configured to mechanically lock to one another.