Patent ID: 7727233

Claim:
An interspinous implant device comprising: a first plate having a medial face configured to abut adjacent spinous processes; a second plate having a medial face configured to abut the adjacent spinous processes; said second plate disposed in spaced relation to said first plate and having a longitudinal plate axis; the medial face of at least one of the first plate and the second plate comprising a plurality of inwardly projecting projections; a post connecting the second plate to the first plate and extending along a longitudinal post axis oriented transverse to the medial face of the second plate; the post pivotable relative to the first plate about a pivot axis; the pivot axis located opposite the second plate with respect to the medial face of the first plate; the pivot axis oriented normal to a theoretical plane disposed generally perpendicular to the medial face of the first plate and containing the longitudinal post axis; the post pivotable about the pivot axis such that the first and second plates may thereby be displaced relative to each other in a direction lying in the theoretical plane and transverse to the post longitudinal axis; wherein the medial faces of each of the plates extend from the post in opposite directions therefrom between a cephalad end of the respective plate that is positionable along a cephaladly located spinous process and a caudal end of the respective plate positionable along a caudally located spinous process; the second plate having a first bore; the post extending from the medial face of the first plate through at least a portion of the first bore; a spacer positioned about the post and disposed between the first and second plates; a locking mechanism associated with the second plate; wherein the second plate is moveable along the post toward the first plate and lockable relative thereto via engagement of the locking mechanism with the post.