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Expandable interspinous process spacer implant

  • US 9,788,962 B2
  • Filed: 07/16/2015
  • Issued: 10/17/2017
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2010
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An expandable spacer implant configured to be inserted into a space that is defined between a superior vertebral body and an inferior vertebral body that are spaced from one another along a first direction, the implant comprising:

  • a proximal-most side of the implant, a distal-most side of the implant spaced from the proximal-most side along a second direction, perpendicular to the first direction, and a middle portion of the implant that is midway between the proximal-most side and the distal-most side;

    a first housing having an outer surface configured to engage one of the superior and inferior vertebral bodies, and an inner surface spaced from the outer surface along the first direction;

    a second housing that extends between the proximal-most side and the distal-most side at the middle portion of the implant, the second housing having an inner surface that faces the inner surface of the first housing, and an outer surface spaced from the outer surface of the first housing along the first direction, the outer surface of the second housing configured to engage another of the superior and inferior vertebral bodies, the second housing including a first pair of internal surfaces that face one another, and a second pair of internal surfaces that face one another, the first and second pairs of internal surfaces at least partially defining a void that extends into the inner surface of the second housing, the first pair of internal surfaces spaced along the second direction and the second pair of internal surfaces spaced along a third direction, perpendicular to both the first and second directions; and

    a distracting member disposed within the void between the first and second housings, and rotatable about an axis of rotation that extends along the second direction, the distracting member defining a first pair of opposed surfaces that define a first distance therebetween, and a second pair of opposed surfaces angularly offset with respect to the first pair of opposed surfaces about the axis of rotation, the second pair of opposed surfaces defining a second distance therebetween that is greater than the first distance, wherein the first and second housings each have an overall length along the second direction that is greater than an overall length of the distracting member along the second direction, and the implant is expandable by rotating the distracting member about the axis of rotation such that the second pair of opposed surfaces engage the first and second housings to cause the first and second housings to move away from one another along the first direction.

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