Patent ID: 7842074

Claim:
A method for the fusion of a first vertebral bone and a second vertebral bone of a subject, comprising: coupling a first segment of a first distraction member to a spinous process of the first vertebral bone, wherein the first distraction member has a second segment that couples to a distraction device and wherein the distraction device is adapted to deliver a distractive force through the first distraction members to the first vertebral bone; coupling a first segment of a second distraction member to the second vertebral bone, wherein the second distraction member has a second segment that couples to the distraction device and wherein the distraction device is adapted to deliver a distractive force through the second distraction members to the second vertebral bone; actuating the distraction device and distracting the spinous processes of the first and second vertebral bones away from one another to a distracted position; decompressing spinal nerves while the spinous process of the first vertebral bone is coupled to the distraction device and while the first and second vertebral bones are in the distracted position, wherein decompression of the spinal nerves is performed by removing bone and ligament structures that compress the spinal nerves from at least a portion of the lamina of the first vertebral bone or the second vertebral bone; using a bone graft or bone graft substitute to span a distance from the lamina of the first vertebral bone to the lamina of the second vertebral bone, wherein the bone graft or bone graft substitute is configured to form a bony fusion between the first and second vertebral bones; implanting an orthopedic device to affix the first and second vertebral bones, wherein the orthopedic device contains at least first and second opposed surfaces, wherein at least one of the opposed surfaces contains at least one protrusion that is adapted to penetrate a side surface of the spinous process of the first or second vertebral bone, wherein the orthopedic device also includes a locking member adapted to transition from a first state to a second state, wherein the opposed surfaces are movable relative to one another when the locking member is in the first state and immobilized relative to one another when the locking member is in the second state.