US Patent 7530991 Vertebral body distance retainer

A vertebral body distance retainer comprises a retainer member including engaging portions to be engaged with a pair of rods provided on a plurality of adjacent vertebral bodies and abutting portions capable of freely abutting on spinous processes of the adjacent vertebral bodies, and fixing screws which fix the rods being engaged with the engaging portions. The vertebral body distance retainer is disposed between the spinous processes each existing on the adjacent vertebral bodies, so that the distance between the spinous processes can be retained constant.