Patent ID: 7901458

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: an implant for positioning at least partially in a disc space between two adjacent vertebrae, the implant comprising: an upper bone engaging surface for engaging at least a portion of an upper vertebral body and an opposite lower bone engaging surface for engaging at least a portion of a lower vertebral body; a first end surface extending between said upper and lower bone engaging surfaces and an opposite second end surface extending between said upper and lower bone engaging surfaces; and a first side surface extending between said upper and lower bone engaging surfaces and an opposite second side surface extending between said upper and lower bone engaging surfaces; the first and second side surfaces and the first end surface defining an insertion tool engagement configuration for mating with an insertion tool, said first side surface including a first generally planar surface portion extending substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the implant and spaced a first distance from the longitudinal axis, a second generally planar surface portion extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis and spaced a second distance from the longitudinal axis, the second distance being less than the first distance, a generally planar transition surface portion extending between the first surface portion and the second surface portion at an oblique angle with respect to the longitudinal axis, the intersection of the transition surface portion and the first surface portion defining a shoulder, said second side surface including a substantially planar surface portion extending at an oblique angle with respect to the longitudinal axis such that a width of the implant between the first generally planar surface portion of the first side surface and the substantially planar surface portion of the second side surface in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis increases as the substantially planar surface portion of the second side surface extends away from the first end surface; and an insertion tool for engaging the insertion tool engagement configuration of the implant, the insertion tool comprising: a first elongated shaft extending along a tool axis and having an elongated channel formed therein; a second elongated shaft movably positioned within the channel of the first elongated shaft, the second elongated shaft movable along the tool axis with respect to the first elongated shaft; the first and second elongated shafts defining an implant gripping mechanism for engaging the implant.