Patent ID: 7022137

Claim:
An interbody spinal implant for insertion at least in part across the surgically corrected height of a disc space between adjacent vertebral bodies of a human spine, the vertebral bodies each having an anterior aspect, a posterior aspect, and an endplate having an apophyseal rim proximate the perimeter of the endplate, said implant comprising: a leading end for insertion first into the disc space, a trailing end opposite said leading end, and therebetween a length along a mid-longitudinal axis of said implant, said leading end being asymmetrical; opposed portions between said leading and trailing ends adapted to be placed within the disc space to contact and support the adjacent vertebral bodies, said opposed portions being non-arcuate along at least a portion of the length of said implant, each of said opposed portions having at least one opening therein to permit for the growth of bone from adjacent vertebral body to adjacent vertebral body through said implant, said implant being formed of bone; an interior facing side wall, an exterior facing side wall opposite said interior side wall, and a width therebetween, said width of said implant being less than approximately one-half of the maximum width of the adjacent vertebral bodies into which said implant is adapted to be inserted, said interior and exterior side walls being between said opposed portions and said leading and trailing ends, said interior side wall adapted to be oriented toward another implant when inserted within the disc space, each of said opposed portions having a vertebral body contacting surface between said at least one opening and at least one of said interior side wall and said exterior side wall, each of said vertebral body contacting surfaces being adapted to be placed toward one of the adjacent vertebral bodies, said opposed portions being spaced apart to define a hollow interior therebetween in communication with said openings; and said implant having a minimum length as measured from said leading end to said trailing end so that said leading end and said trailing end of said implant are adapted to rest upon portions of the apophyseal rim when implanted, said implant being adapted to be wholly contained within the disc space when implanted.