Patent ID: 7585316

Claim:
A method of implanting an interspinous spacer, said method comprising: a) providing a spacer; wherein said spacer comprises a blocking member and four arms extending therefrom; wherein said spacer is configurable into a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration; wherein said collapsed configuration presents a smaller profile than said expanded configuration to facilitate minimally invasive implantation of the spacer; said spacer having an “H”-shaped configuration when in said expanded configuration; and an “I”-shaped configuration when in said collapsed configuration; b) collapsing said spacer to its “I”-shaped configuration; c) providing said collapsed spacer in a device for holding said spacer in its collapsed configuration to facilitate implantation in a medical patient, said cannula having a proximal end and a distal end; d) positioning the distal end of said cannula in a medical patient so that the end of the cannula clears each of a pair of adjacent spinal processes; e) pushing the collapsed spacer through the cannula until two of the arms exit the cannula and position themselves longitudinally beside the adjacent spinal processes; f) withdrawing said cannula while allowing or causing the spacer to continue through the cannula such that the spacer exits the cannula and the remaining two arms are positioned longitudinally on the other side of the adjacent spinal processes.