Systems and techniques for restoring and maintaining intervertebral anatomy

1. An implant for the spinal column, comprising:

a body positionable in a spinal disc space, said body including a leading end portion and an opposite proximal end, an upper surface orientable toward an endplate of an upper vertevra and a lower surface orientable toward an endplate of a lower vertebra, said body having a height between said upper and lower surfaces corresponding to a desired disc space height between the upper vertebra endplate and the lower vertebra endplate, wherein said leading end portion is adapted for insertion into the disc space in a collapsed condition to restore the collapsed disc space to the desired disc space height as the body is inserted in the collapsed disc space, wherein said body includes:

a first lateral section and second lateral section attachable to said first lateral section, wherein one of said first and second lateral sections includes a receptacle extending laterally therethrough for receiving a coupling pin:

a first lateral surface on said first lateral section extending between said upper surface and said lower surface;

a second lateral surface on said second lateral section opposite said first lateral surface extending between said upper surface and said lower surface;

a first notch in said first lateral surface opening at said proximal end;

a second notch in said second lateral surface opening at said proximal end; and

further comprising a coupling member having first and second portions positionable in respective ones of said first and second notches to secure said first and second lateral sections to one another, wherein said first lateral section includes a first medial surface and said second lateral section includes a second medial surface oriented toward said first medial surface, said first and second medial surfaces configured to interdigitate when positioned against one another and said each of said first and second medial surfaces includes a plurality of ridges extending between said upper and lower surfaces.

2. The implant of claim 1 , wherein said body tapers from said height to said leading end nose.

3. The implant of claim 1 , wherein said coupling member comprises a distal portion of an insertion instrument.

4. The implant of claim 1 , wherein said upper and lower surfaces each include a plurality of ridges configured to engage an adjacent endplate of the vertebrae.

5. The implant of claim 1 , wherein said body is made from bone material.

6. The implant of claim 1 , wherein a width of said coupling member is less than a width between said first and second lateral surfaces when said coupling member is engaged to first and second lateral sections, and said width of said coupling member is less than said width between said first and second lateral surfaces

7. An implant for the spinal column, comprising:

a body positionable in a spinal disc space, said body including a leading end portion and an opposite proximal end, an upper surface orientable toward an endplate of an upper vertebra ad a lower surface orientable toward an endplate of a lower vertebra, said body having a height between the upper and lower surfaces corresponding to a desired disc space height between the upper vertebra endplate and the lower vertebra endplate, wherein said leading end portion is adapted for insertion into the disc space in a collapsed condition to restore the collapsed disc space to the desired disc space height as the body in inserted in the collapsed disc space, wherein said body includes:

a first lateral section and a second lateral section attachable to said first lateral section, wherein one of said first and second lateral sections includes a receptacle extending laterally therethrough for receiving a coupling pin;

a first lateral surface on said first lateral section extending between said upper surface and said lower surface;

a second lateral surface on said second lateral section opposite said first lateral surface extending between said upper surface and said lower surface;

a first notch in said first lateral surface opening at said proximal end;

a second notch in said second lateral surface opening at said proximal end; and

further comprising a coupling member having first and second portions positionable in respective ones of said first and second notches to secure said first and second lateral sections to one another, wherein a width of said coupling member is less than a width between said first and second lateral surfaces when said coupling member is engaged to first and second lateral sections, and said width of said coupling member is less than said width between said first and second lateral surfaces when said coupling member is disengaged from said second lateral sections.

8. The implant of claim 7 , wherein the other of said first and second lateral sections include said coupling pin extending from a medial surface thereof toward said receptacle of said one of said first and second lateral sections.

9. The implant of claim 7 , wherein said first lateral section includes a first medial surface and said second lateral section includes a second medial surface oriented toward said first medial surface, said first and second medial surfaces configured to interdigitate when positioned against one another.

10. The implant of claim 7 , wherein said coupling member comprises a distal portion of an insertion instrument.

11. The implant of claim 7 , wherein each of said first and second lateral sections is comprised of bone material cut longitudinally from a section of long bone material.

12. The implant of claim 7 , wherein said upper and lower surfaces each include a plurality of ridges configured to engage an adjacent endplate of the vertebrae.

13. The implant of claim 7 , wherein each of said upper and lower surfaces are convexly curved.

14. An implant for the spinal column, comprising:

a body positionable in a spinal disc space, said body including a leading end portion and an opposite proximal end, an upper surface orientable toward an endplate of an upper vertebra and a lower surface orientable toward an endplate of a lower vertebra, said body having a height between said upper and lower surfaces corresponding to a desired disc space height between the upper vertebra endplate and the lower vertebra endplate, wherein said leading end portion is adapted for insertion into the disc space in a collapsed condition to restore the collapsed disc space to the desired disc space height as the body is inserted in the collapsed disc space, wherein said body includes convexly curved upper and lower surfaces and said leading end portion includes a convexly curved leading end nose extending between said convexly curved upper and lower surfaces,

wherein said body includes:

a first lateral surace extending between said upper surface and said lower surface;

a second lateral surface opposite said first lateral surface extending between said upper surface and said lower surface; and

said leading end nose is convexly curved between and first and second lateral surfaces.

15. This implant of claim 14 , wherein said upper and lower surfaces each a plurality of ridges configured to engage an adjacent endplate of the vertebrae.

16. The implant of claim 14 , wherein said body includes:

a proximal end surface extending between said first and second lateral surfaces and also extending between said upper and lower surfaces of said body;

a first notch in said first lateral surface recessed relative to said proximal end surface and said first lateral surface; and

a second notch in said second lateral surface recessed relative to said proximal end surface and said second lateral surface.

17. An implant insertable in a disc space between adjacent vertebrae, comprising:

a body having a distal leading end portion sized for insertion into a non-distracted, collapsed disc space, said implant having a height between an upper surface and a lower surface thereof adapted to restore said non-distracted, collapsed disc space to a desired disc space height as said body is impacted into said non-distracted collapsed disc space, wherein said body is implantable in the restored disc space to post-operatively maintain said desired disc space height, wherein said body includes:

a first lateral surface extending between said upper surface and said lower surface;

a second lateral surface opposite said first lateral surface extending between said upper surface and said lower surface;

a proximal end surface;

a first notch in said first lateral surface recessed relative to said proximal end surface and said first lateral surface; and

a second notch in said second lateral surface recessed relative to said proximal end surface and said second lateral surface, wherein at least one of said first and second notches includes a detent therein extending into said body, further comprising a coupling member positionable in said first and second notches, wherein said coupling member include a pair of opposite coupling portions positionable in respective ones of said first and second notches and at least one of said coupling portions is positionable in said at least one of said notches and includes a protrusion positionable in said detent.

18. The implant of claim 17 , wherein said upper and lower surfaces each include a plurality of ridges configured to engage an adjacent endplate of the vertebrae.

19. The implant of claim 18 , wherein said coupling member comprises a distal portion of an insertion instrument.

20. The implant of claim 20 , wherein said body includes a leading end nose that extends along an arc defined by a radius.

21. The implant of claim 17 , wherein each of said upper and lower surfaces are convexly curved.

22. The implant of claim 17 , wherein each of said first and second notches includes a detent therein extending into said body.

23. An implant insertable in a disc space between adjacent vertebrae, comprising:

a body having a distal leading end portion sized for insertion into a non-distracted, collapsed disc space, said implant having a height between an upper surface and a lower surface thereof adapted to restore said non-distracted, collapsed disc space to a desired disc space height as said body is impacted into said non-distracted collapsed disc space, wherein said body is implantable in the restored disc space to post-operatively maintain said desired disc space height, wherein said body includes convexly curved upper and lower surfaces and said leading end portion includes a convexly curved leading end nose extending between said convexly curved upper and lower surfaces, wherein said body further includes:

a first lateral surface extending between said upper surface and said lower surface;

a second lateral surface opposite said first lateral surface extending between said upper surface and said lower surface; and

said leading end nose is convexly curved between said first and second lateral surfaces.

24. The implant of claim 23 , wherein said upper and lower surfaces each include a plurality of ridges configured to engage an adjacent endplate of the vertebrae.

25. The implant of claim 23 , wherein said body includes:

a proximal end surface extending between said first and second lateral surfaces and also extending between said upper and lower surfaces of said body;

a first notch in said first lateral surface recessed relative to said proximal end surface and said first lateral surface; and

a second notch in said second lateral surface recessed relative to said proximal end surface and said second lateral surface.

26. The implant of claim 25 , wherein at least one of said first and second notches includes a detent therein extending into said body.

27. The implant of claim 26 , further comprising a coupling member positionable in said first and second notches.

28. The implant of claim 26 , wherein said coupling member comprises a distal portion of an insertion instrument.

29. The implant of claim 27 , wherein said coupling member include a pair of opposite coupling portions positionable in respective ones of said first and second notches.

30. The implant of claim 29 , wherein at least one of said coupling portions is positionable in said at least one of said notches and includes a protrusion positionable in said detent.

31. The implant of claim 23 , wherein said leading end nose extends along an arc defined by a radius.

32. An implant insertable in a disc space between an upper vertebra and a lower vertebra, said implant comprising:

a body including a distal leading end portion, a proximal end, an upper surface orientable toward an endplate of the upper vertebra and a lower surface orientable toward an endplate of the lower vertebra, a first lateral surface extending between said upper surface and said lower surface and a second lateral surface opposite said first lateral surface extending between said upper surface and said lower surface;

said body including a first height between said upper and lower surfaces corresponding to a desired disc space height; and

said body distal leading end portion configured for insertion into a non-distracted collapsed disc space, wherein said body is implantable in the non-distracted, collapsed disc space to post-operatively maintain the disc space at the desired disc space height and said body is selected to correspond in size and shape to a trial instrument body previously inserted in the non-distracted, collapsed disc space and determined to provide the desired disc space height, wherein said body includes convexly curved upper and lower surfaces and said leading end portion includes a convexly curved leading end nose extending between said convexly curved upper and lower surfaces, and said leading end nose is convexly curved between said first and second lateral surfaces.

33. The implant of claim 32 , wherein said upper and lower surfaces each include a plurality of ridges configured to engage an adjicent endplate of the vertebrae.

34. The implant of claim 32 , wherein said leading end nose extends along an arc defined by a radius.