| CPC A61F 2/447 (2013.01) [A61F 2/442 (2013.01); A61F 2/4455 (2013.01); A61F 2/4611 (2013.01); A61F 2002/2835 (2013.01); A61F 2002/30471 (2013.01); A61F 2002/30476 (2013.01); A61F 2002/30545 (2013.01); A61F 2002/30556 (2013.01); A61F 2002/30579 (2013.01); A61F 2002/4677 (2013.01)] | 19 Claims |

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1. A method of stabilizing a laterally-expandable intervertebral scaffolding in a subject, the method comprising:
obtaining a laterally-expandable intervertebral scaffolding having a plurality of support beams each beam in the plurality of support beams (i) designed to bear a compression load in the cephalocaudal direction in a subject and (ii) independently selected from the group consisting of straight beams and curved beams; and,
expanding the scaffolding in the subject in operable connection with a stabilizer that slidably engages with the support beams and provides an opposing force to each beam in the plurality of support beams during the expanding, the opposing force retaining each beam in the plurality of support beams from a lateral movement that exceeds the expanded state.
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