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Intervertebral implant

  • US 10,398,566 B2
  • Filed: 06/21/2017
  • Issued: 09/03/2019
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2006
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An expandable intervertebral implant comprising:

  • a one-piece upper body portion;

    a one-piece lower body portion that generally faces the upper body portion along a transverse direction;

    a threaded shaft disposed between the upper and lower body portions, the threaded shaft having a first end and a second end spaced from the first end in a unidirectional first direction;

    a first wedge member threadedly coupled to the first end of the threaded shaft, wherein the first wedge member defines respective upper and lower guide members; and

    a second wedge member supported by the threaded shaft at a location spaced from the first wedge member in the unidirectional first direction, wherein the second wedge member defines respective upper and lower guide members,wherein the threaded shaft is rotatable about a shaft axis with respect to the upper and lower body portions so as to

         1) cause the first wedge member to threadedly move along the threaded shaft toward the second wedge member, which thereby causes a) the upper guide member of the first wedge member to ride in a first slot of the upper body portion, and b) the first and second wedge members to push against each of the upper and lower body portions, thereby increasing a distance between the upper and lower body portions, andwherein each of the upper and lower guide members of the first wedge member has respective outermost lateral ends spaced from each other along a lateral direction that is perpendicular to each of the unidirectional first direction and the transverse direction, the first wedge member has second respective outermost lateral ends that are spaced from each other along the lateral direction and coplanar with the threaded shaft in a plane that is perpendicular to the transverse direction, and the outermost ends of the upper and lower guide members of the first wedge member are inwardly recessed with respect to the second respective outermost ends along the lateral direction.

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