Patent ID: 8241329

Claim:
A method to limit the extent of vertebral extension between an upper-most vertebral bone and a lower-most bone of a spinal segment having three or more bony levels which may include the sacrum, comprising: affixing an orthopedic implant to an intermediate vertebral bone; abutting a first abutment surface of the orthopedic implant against a superior end surface of an ipsilateral superior articulating process of the lower most bone of the spinal segment; abutting a second abutment surface of the orthopedic implant against an inferior end surface of an ipsilateral inferior articulating process of the upper-most vertebral bone of the spinal segment; and limiting the extent of spinal segment extension wherein the abutment surfaces restrict the travel of the superior articulating process of the lower-most bone towards the inferior articulating process of the upper-most bone during vertebral extension, and wherein flexion of the spinal segment is at least partially preserved.