Patent ID: 8753377

Claim:
A spinal implant comprising: a first member and a second member in opposed relation to each other, each of the first and second members comprising a distal leading portion and a proximal trailing portion opposite the distal leading portion, the first and second members coupled together near their respective distal leading portions via a hinge, and the first member further comprising at least one slot defined in the first member, the at least one slot extending through a thickness of the first member to define a first opening in an inner surface of the first member and a second opening in an outer surface of the first member, wherein the first opening is defined by a closed boundary bounded on all sides by the inner surface of the first member and the second opening is defined by a closed boundary bounded on all sides by the outer surface of the first member; and a threaded member comprising a distal leading portion, a proximal trailing portion, a shaft extending between the distal leading and proximal trailing portions, and a thread extending along at least a portion of the shaft, wherein, when the threaded member is threadably received between the first member and second member, at least a portion of the thread extends through the at least one slot to extend outwardly past the second opening in the outer surface of the first member, and at least the proximal trailing portions of the first and second members are caused to displace away from each other about the hinge.