Patent ID: 7648512

Claim:
A shim for maintaining a distracted disc space, the shim comprising: a blade having a length extending between a leading end and a trailing end, a height extending between a top surface and a bottom surface each extending along said length, and a thickness extending between a first side surface and a second side surface; and a shaft having a longitudinal axis and a first end and an opposite second end and a pair of generally parallel side surfaces extending therebetween along said axis, said first end connected to said trailing end of said blade, wherein said side surfaces of said shaft are co-planar with respective ones of said first and second side surfaces of said blade, and said shaft is bendable along said length away from a plane through said axis extending parallel to said pair of side surfaces of said shaft when said blade is positioned in the distracted disc space and said shaft includes opposite sides extending between said side surfaces of said shaft, said height of said blade between said top and bottom surfaces along said length of said blade being greater than a height of said shaft from one of said opposite sides to the other of said opposite sides at said first end of said shaft where said blade and shaft are connected, wherein said blade includes shoulders at said trailing end thereof protruding outwardly from said opposite sides of said shaft at said connection of said blade with said shaft, said shoulders facing said second end of said shaft to receive a driving force from around said shaft directed toward said leading end of said blade.