Patent ID: 7582114

Claim:
A system, comprising: an intervertebral stabilizer including: (i) first and second spaced apart major surfaces operable to engage respective endplates of adjacent vertebral bones of a spine, (ii) a spring element located between the first and second surfaces and including: a substantially solid exterior wall forming a hollow passage between the first and second surfaces, the solid exterior wall including at least one helical slit therethrough forming a plurality of annular circumferential, overlapping helical coils, where at least some diameters of respective turns of the helical coils differ such that those of the turns having larger diameters are disposed towards the first and second surfaces and those of the turns having smaller diameters are centrally located between the turns having larger diameters, and diameters of the hollow passage between the first and second surfaces vary such that larger diameters are disposed towards the first and second surfaces and smaller diameters are centrally located, and at least a pair of apertures extending into the exterior wall of the spring element; and an insertion tool including: (i) a handle; and (ii) a head having at least a pair of spaced apart pins operable to releaseably engage the at least one pair of apertures, wherein: a longitudinal axis of the stabilizer is parallel with a longitudinal axis of the intervertebral space and normal to the first and second surfaces, the at least one pair of apertures extend transverse to the longitudinal axis of the stabilizer and are aligned relative to one another in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the stabilizer, and a height of the head in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the stabilizer is less than a height between the first and second major surfaces of the stabilizer.