US Patent 8394145 Expandable intervertebral spacer and method of posterior insertion thereof

An expandable intervertebral spacer has a plurality of arms. The arms can be retracted or extended. The spacer has a width that is narrower than the width between the nerve roots near the posterior approach to an intervertebral space. Once inserted into the intervertebral space, the arms can be deployed. The deployed arms expand the height and width of the spacer. Once deployed, the spacer stabilizes two adjacent vertebrae. The arms are interconnected mechanically to deploy simultaneously.