Patent Document ID: 7828847
Application ID: 11675597
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. An orthopedic implant adapted to provide movement between two adjacent skeletal segments, comprising: a first member that is adapted to be attached onto a first bone; a second member that is adapted to be attached onto a second bone; at least one flexible rotational articulation member that is contained within the implant and that provides at least partial movement between the first and second members about an axis of rotation that extends through the articulation member, wherein the articulation member is a flexure-based bearing, the articulation member having: a plurality of sections that include at least one internal spring member capsuled within a cylindrical housing, wherein the cylindrical housing includes a first hollow cylindrical section and a second hollow cylindrical section, wherein each cylindrical section has an outer cylindrical surface and an internal cylindrical surface concentric with the internal cylindrical surface of the other cylindrical section, wherein the first and second cylindrical sections are coaxially aligned about the axis of rotation, and wherein the first and second cylindrical sections can rotate relative to one another and rotational movement is preserved after full implantation of the implant; the first and second cylindrical sections being joined by the at least one spring member that extends from the internal cylindrical surface of the first cylindrical member to the internal cylindrical surface of the second cylindrical member; wherein the at least on internal spring member resists relative rotation of the first and second cylindrical sections along the axis of rotation away from a neutral rotation position in a rotational direction, wherein an extent of resistance to rotation increases with an extent of rotation of the first cylindrical section relative to the second cylindrical section in a rotational direction away from the neutral rotation position and wherein the at least one internal spring member returns the first and second cylindrical sections to the neutral rotation position after dissipation of a force producing the relative rotation of the cylindrical sections.