Patent ID: 7431722

Claim:
An apparatus for use in human spinal surgery across a disc space between two adjacent vertebral bodies, comprising: a guard member having a distal end, a proximal end, and a mid-longitudinal axis through said distal and proximal ends, said guard member having a passage for providing protected access to the disc space and the adjacent vertebral bodies, said passage having a cross section transverse to the mid-longitudinal axis having a width and a height transverse to the width, the width of said passage being greater than the height of said passage along at least a portion of said passage; and an extension extending from said distal end of said guard member for insertion into the disc space between the adjacent vertebral bodies, said extension having a portion for bearing against each of the adjacent vertebral bodies, said portion of said extension having an upper surface adapted to contact one of the adjacent vertebral bodies and a lower surface adapted to contact the other of the adjacent vertebral bodies, said portion of said extension having a height between said upper and lower surfaces and a length sufficient to properly align and distance apart the adjacent vertebral bodies from at least in part within the disc space between the adjacent vertebral bodies.