Patent ID: 8840646

Claim:
An artificial spinous process implant, comprising: a lamina portion having a flat anterior surface, the lamina portion defining an anterior side of said implant, said lamina portion extending from a superior end to an inferior end and further including opposite lateral sides extending between said superior end and said inferior end; a spinous process portion located between said lateral sides of a posterior face of said lamina portion and extending posteriorly from said lamina portion, said spinous process portion defining a posterior side of the implant and further extending between said superior and inferior ends of said lamina portion and in a transverse orientation to said lamina portion, wherein said spinous process portion includes opposite lateral sides tapering in width from a maximum thickness adjacent to a mid-portion of the spinous process portion toward at least one of said superior and inferior ends of said replacement body; a pair of elongated connecting elements extending from said lamina portion in opposite directions from one another, wherein said connecting elements each include an outer end spaced from said lamina portion, said connecting elements extending along a curve so that said outer ends are located anteriorly of said anterior side of said implant, and a pair of support members extending from said lateral sides of said lamina portion and along said spinous process portion toward said posterior side of said implant.