Patent ID: 8454617

Claim:
A tissue distraction device comprising: first and second elongated members insertable between adjacent vertebrae of a spine having a general longitudinal axis and adapted to define a structure in situ having a dimensional aspect in a direction extending between the vertebrae, wherein each of the first and second elongated members includes a wire lumen; a flexible augmenting elongated member at least partially insertable between and in contact with said first and second elongated members to spread the first and second elongated members apart to increase the dimensional aspect of at least a portion of the structure in situ, wherein said augmenting, first and second elongated members are sufficiently flexible to change between a generally linear configuration and a generally less linear configuration and the device in situ is substantially rigid in a direction generally along the longitudinal axis of the spine and flexible in a direction different from the longitudinal axis of the spine; and a pull wire connected to at least one of said first and second elongated members and passing through both of the wire lumens, wherein the pull wire is adapted to exert a force on said at least one of said first and second elongated members to change between the generally linear configuration and the generally less linear configuration.