US Patent 11986395 Posterior prosthetic intervertebral disc

The disclosure provides an implant including first and second interconnected elongated articulating portions with vertebral contacting outer surfaces. The first and second interconnected elongated articulating portions have a first configuration for insertion into a disc space and a second configuration upon deployment in the disc space. In a first configuration the axes of the first and second interconnected elongated articulating portions are substantially axially aligned with each other and in a second configuration the axes of the portions are axially unaligned with each other. The first and second interconnected elongated articulating portions are configured to be deployed in situ from the first configuration to the second configuration by both pivoting. The implant is expandable in the height direction between the vertebral contacting outer surfaces while the implant is inside the disc space by sliding a portion of at least one of the first and second elongated articulating portions.