CPC A61F 2/4425 (2013.01) [A61F 2/442 (2013.01); A61F 2/4611 (2013.01); A61F 2002/3008 (2013.01); A61F 2002/30166 (2013.01); A61F 2002/30364 (2013.01); A61F 2002/30471 (2013.01); A61F 2002/30556 (2013.01); A61F 2002/30579 (2013.01); A61F 2002/30649 (2013.01); A61F 2002/30662 (2013.01); A61F 2002/30663 (2013.01); A61F 2002/30841 (2013.01); A61F 2002/30904 (2013.01); A61F 2/30965 (2013.01); A61F 2002/4415 (2013.01); A61F 2002/443 (2013.01); A61F 2220/0016 (2013.01); A61F 2220/0033 (2013.01); A61F 2220/0091 (2013.01); A61F 2230/0028 (2013.01); A61F 2250/0009 (2013.01); A61F 2250/0098 (2013.01); A61F 2310/00017 (2013.01); A61F 2310/00023 (2013.01); A61F 2310/00029 (2013.01); A61F 2310/00407 (2013.01); A61F 2310/00796 (2013.01); A61F 2310/0088 (2013.01)] | 16 Claims |
1. An implant comprising:
first and second elongated articulating end plates with vertebral contacting opposite outer surfaces and opposing inner bearing surfaces to allow articulation and rotation of the first articulating end plate relative to the second articulating end plate, each of the first and second elongated articulating end plates having a length, a width, a height and an axis extending along the length, wherein the length is longer than the width and the height;
wherein each of the first and second elongated articulating end plates has three pivotably interconnected elongated parts having a first configuration for insertion into a disc space and a second configuration upon deployment in the disc space, wherein in the first configuration, longitudinal axes of the three pivotably interconnected elongated parts of each of the first and second elongated articulating end plates are substantially axially aligned with each other and in the second configuration, the longitudinal axes of the three pivotably interconnected elongated parts of each of the first and second elongated articulating end plates are axially unaligned with each other, and wherein the first and second elongated articulating end plates are configured to be deployed in situ from the first configuration to the second configuration by pivoting their three parts relative to each other;
wherein the implant is expandable in a height direction measured between the vertebral contacting outer surfaces while the implant is inside the disc space by sliding a portion of at least one of the three parts of at least one of the first and second elongated articulating end plates along at least one ramp formed in another part of the three parts of the at least one of the first and second elongated articulating end plate, the sliding causing the implant to expand in the height direction.
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