Patent ID: 7655046

Claim:
An expandable spinal implant, comprising: a cage body extending along a longitudinal axis and including at least two movable branches having first end portions that are interconnected to one another and opposite second end portions that are movable relative to one another, said movable branches cooperating to define a hollow interior of said cage body and including: a first shell portion having a substantially semi-cylindrical shape and including a first pair of longitudinal edges and defining a first hollow region between said first pair of longitudinal edges, each of said first pair of longitudinal edges extending from an outer surface of said cage body to said first hollow region; a second shell portion having a substantially semi-cylindrical shape and including a second pair of longitudinal edges and defining a second hollow region between said second pair of longitudinal edges, each of said second pair of longitudinal edges extending from said outer surface of said cage body to said second hollow region; wherein said first and second shell portions cooperate with one another to provide said cage body with a substantially cylindrical configuration with said first hollow region of said first shell portion cooperating with said second hollow region of said second shell portion to define at least a portion of said hollow interior of said cage body, and with said first pair of longitudinal edges arranged generally opposite said second pair of longitudinal edges to define opposing pairs of inwardly tapered longitudinal edges extending along said longitudinal axis; and wherein said cage body defines external threads configured for engagement with adjacent vertebral bodies; and an expansion member slidably engaged simultaneously along said opposing pairs of inwardly tapered longitudinal edges as said expansion member is axially displaced along said longitudinal axis between said first and second shell portions to transition said cage body toward a transversely expanded configuration.