Patent ID: 8668741

Claim:
A spinal fusion implant for surgical implantation at least in part within a disc space between two adjacent vertebral bodies in a segment of a human spine, said implant comprising: a wall forming a leading end adapted for entry into the spine, a trailing end opposite said leading end, and opposed sides connecting said leading and trailing ends, said implant having a length from said leading end to said trailing end, and a width perpendicular to the length, the width being greater than the length of said implant; said wall having an upper surface adapted to contact one of the adjacent vertebral bodies, said wall having a lower surface adapted to contact another of the adjacent vertebral bodies; said wall having an interior surface forming a portion of an opening, said opening having a height from said upper surface to said lower surface, said opening being adapted to permit for the growth of bone from adjacent vertebral body to adjacent vertebral body through said implant, said opening extending a distance along the length of said implant that is greater than a majority of the length of said implant, said wall having an exterior surface opposite said interior surface; and a plurality of bone screw receiving holes, each of said bone screw receiving holes being adapted to receive a bone screw therein, each of said bone screw receiving holes having a central longitudinal axis and a maximum diameter, the maximum diameter being centered at the central longitudinal axis and approximating a maximum diameter of a head of the bone screw, the maximum diameter of one of said bone screw receiving holes intersecting with said upper surface of said wall at said trailing end so that said one of said bone screw receiving holes forms at least a partial perimeter along said upper surface that extends from said exterior surface of said wall at said trailing end towards said interior surface of said wall at said trailing end, the maximum diameter of another of said bone screw receiving holes intersecting with said lower surface of said wall at said trailing end so that said another of said bone screw receiving holes forms at least a partial perimeter along said lower surface that extends from said exterior surface of said wall at said trailing end towards said interior surface of said wall at said trailing end.