Patent ID: 8252060

Claim:
A method for implant installation between adjacent vertebral bodies of a patient, comprising the steps of: assembling a first implant onto a first insertion instrument to deliver the first implant to an intervertebral space; subsequently assembling a second implant onto the insertion instrument after delivering the first implant to the intervertebral space; each of the implants having a support body, the support body having a curved shape extending laterally from a proximal end portion to a distal end portion, each insertion instrument extending along a longitudinal tool axis; moving the instrument to a first position wherein the first implant is rotationally fixed with respect to the longitudinal tool axis; placing the first implant into a patient through a postero-lateral approach to locate the implant between adjacent vertebral bodies of a patient; moving the instrument to a second position wherein the support body of the first implant is rotatable with respect to the tool axis; moving the instrument to cause the first implant to rotate with respect to the longitudinal tool axis; disassembling the instrument from the first implant and removing the instrument from the patient; assembling the instrument to the second implant and moving the instrument to a first position wherein the second implant is rotationally fixed with respect to the longitudinal tool axis; placing the second implant into a patient through a postero-lateral approach to locate the implant between adjacent vertebral bodies of a patient; moving the instrument to a second position wherein the support body of the second implant is rotatable with respect to the tool axis; moving the instrument to cause the second implant to rotate with respect to the longitudinal tool axis; and disassembling the instrument from the second implant and removing the instrument from the patient, whereby the first implant is articulated while attached to the insertion instrument to a first final location while the second implant is subsequently articulated while attached to the insertion instrument to a second final location.