Patent ID: 7147642

Claim:
A vertebral body milling device for creating a contoured disc space between adjacent vertebral bodies of the spine, each of the adjacent vertebral bodies having a vertebral endplate adjacent to the disc space, comprising: i) a milling block comprising: a) a front face for placement against the vertebral bodies, b) an opposite back face having a back opening having a width, and c) a housing formed between the front and back faces, and ii) a bone removal device for contouring vertebral endplates, comprising: a) a distal cutting element having a width and disposed distal the front face of the milling block, b) an intermediate element housed within the housing, and c) a proximal longitudinal element having a distal portion disposed in the back opening, wherein the width of the distal cutting element is greater than the width of the back opening wherein the intermediate element is a vibratory element, and wherein the cutting element is a vibratory cutting element comprising teeth formed by chemical etching.