Patent ID: 8663329

Claim:
A horizontally elongate implant system for stabilizing a bony segment pair, the horizontally elongate implant system including: a lower bony segment interface body (“BSIB”) for engaging a first of the bony segment pair, the lower BSIB having a long horizontal axis and including a front, a top, a first side, a second side, a bottom, and a rear, the BSIB comprised substantially of a non-metallic material; a upper bony segment interface body (“BSIB”) for engaging the other of the bony segment pair, the upper BSIB physically separate from the lower BSIB, having a long horizontal axis and including a front, a top, a first side, a second side, a bottom, and a rear, the BSIB comprised substantially of a non-metallic material; and an expansion mechanism, the expansion mechanism pivotably coupled to one of the lower BSIB and the upper BSIB via a plurality of connection points, the expansion mechanism including at least one ratcheting mechanism, the ratcheting mechanism when activated increasing at least the distance between one of the lower BSIB front and the upper BSIB front and the lower BSIB rear and the upper BSIB rear, the lower BSIB and the upper BSIB each including a central fenestration extending from the top to the bottom, and the lower BSIB and the upper BSIB each include a shaped fenestration extending from the top to the bottom and located between the central fenestration and BSIB front and the expansion mechanism ratcheting mechanism includes an upper and lower extension arm, the upper extension arm complementary shaped to extend into the upper BSIB shaped fenestration and not substantially rotate within the upper BSIB shaped fenestration and the lower extension arm complementary shaped to extend into the lower BSIB shaped fenestration and not substantially rotate within the lower BSIB shaped fenestration.