Expandable push-in arcuate orthopedic implant

1. A push-in orthopedic implant having a length for at least in part linear insertion at least in part between two adjacent bone masses, said implant comprising:

an upper member having a portion being at least in part arcuate adapted for placement toward and into contact with one of the adjacent bone masses, said upper member having at least one opening adapted to communicate with one of the adjacent bone masses, said upper member having a proximal end and a distal end;

a lower member having a portion being at least in part arcuate adapted for placement toward and into contact with the other of the adjacent bone masses, said lower member having at least one opening adapted to communicate with the other of the adjacent bone masses, said openings of said upper and lower members being in communication with one another and adapted for permitting for the growth of bone from adjacent bone mass to adjacent bone mass through said implant, said lower member having a proximal end and a distal end corresponding to said proximal end and said distal end of said upper member, respectively, said upper and lower members adapted to rotatably articulate about a pivot axis adjacent one of said proximal ends and said distal ends of said upper and lower members, the articulation of said upper and lower members allowing for expansion of a height of said implant, the pivot axis being transverse to a mid-longitudinal axis of said implant, said upper and lower members having a first position relative to one another allowing for a collapsed implant height and a second position relative to one another allowing for an increased height;

at least one blocker adapted to cooperatively engage and hold at least a portion of said upper and lower members apart so as to maintain the increased height of said implant and resist collapse of said implant to the collapsed implant height when said implant is in a final deployed position, said at least one blocker being configured to rotate about an axis of rotation generally parallel to the mid-longitudinal axis of said implant in a plane generally perpendicular to the mid-longitudinal axis of said implant and to remain in said plane while transitioning said upper and lower members from said first position to said second position, said at least one blocker having an upper surface, a lower surface, and side surfaces as defined when said at least one blocker is positioned to increase the height of said implant, said side surfaces intersecting said upper and said lower surfaces at two pairs of diametrically opposed junctions, said two pairs of diametrically opposed junctions being a pair of diametrically opposed corners and a pair of diametrically opposed arcs; and

a hollow defined between said upper and lower member, the pivot axis of said upper and lower members extending through said hollow.

2. The push-in implant of claim 1 , wherein the hollow defined between said upper and lower members is in communication with said openings in each of said upper and lower members, said hollow being adapted to receive fusion-promoting substances.

3. The push-in implant of claim 2 , wherein said hollow has a width that is unobstructed by any mechanism for moving said at least one blocker.

4. The push-in implant of claim 1 , wherein said implant has a constant width in both the first position and the second position.

5. The push-in implant of claim 1 , wherein said implant has side walls and said at least one blocker does not contact said side walls when said implant is in the final deployed position.

6. The push-in implant of claim 1 , wherein each of said upper and lower members have a track configured to permit said at least one blocker to seat therein.

7. The push-in implant of claim 1 , wherein said at least one blocker moves said upper and lower members from a parallel orientation relative to one another in the first position to one of a parallel and an angled orientation relative to one another in the second position.

8. The push-in implant of claim 1 , wherein said two diametrically opposed arcs are each of the same radius.

9. The push-in implant of claim 8 , wherein the distance across said two diametrically opposed arcs generally approximates the distance between said upper and lower surfaces of said at least one blocker.

10. The push-in implant of claim 1 , wherein said upper and lower members are configured to cooperate with one another so as to stop said upper and lower members from being moved apart from one another more than a predetermined distance.

11. The push-in implant of claim 1 , further comprising at least a portion of a bone-engaging projection adapted for linear insertion formed on exteriors of said upper and lower members for penetrably engaging the adjacent bone masses.

12. The push-in implant of claim 11 , wherein said bone-engaging projection is selected from one of a ratchet, a surface roughening, and a knurling.

13. The push-in implant of claim 1 , in combination with a bone growth promoting material.

14. The push-in implant of claim 13 , wherein said bone growth promoting material is selected from one of bone morphogenetic protein, hydroxyapatite, and genes coding for the production of bone.

15. The push-in implant of claim 1 , wherein said distal ends of said upper and lower members are symmetrical from side to side.

16. The push-in implant of claim 1 , wherein said at least one blocker has a first height dimension corresponding to the height of said at least one blocker when said implant is initially inserted between the adjacent bone masses, and said at least one blocker has a second height dimension corresponding to the height of said at least one blocker when said at least one blocker is rotated into a final deployed position of said at least one blocker to increase the height of said implant, said second height dimension of said at least one blocker being greater than said first height dimension of said at least one blocker, said first height and said second height being in a plane.

17. A push-in orthopedic implant having a length for at least in part linear insertion at least in part between two adjacent bone masses, said implant comprising:

an upper member having a portion being at least in part arcuate adapted for placement toward and into contact with one of the adjacent bone masses, said upper member having at least one opening adapted to communicate with one of the adjacent bone masses, said upper member having a proximal end and a distal end;

a lower member having a portion being at least in part arcuate adapted for placement toward and into contact with the other of the adjacent bone masses, said lower member having at least one opening adapted to communicate with the other of the adjacent bone masses, said openings of said upper and lower members being in communication with one another and adapted for permitting for the growth of bone from adjacent bone mass to adjacent bone mass through said implant, said lower member having a proximal end and a distal end corresponding to said proximal end and said distal end of said upper member, respectively, said upper and lower members adapted to rotatably articulate about a pivot axis adjacent one of said proximal ends and said distal ends of said upper and lower members, the articulation of said upper and lower members allowing for expansion of a height of said implant, the pivot axis being transverse to a mid-longitudinal axis of said implant, said upper and lower members having a first position relative to one another allowing for a collapsed implant height and a second position relative to one another allowing for an increased height;

at least one blacker adapted to cooperatively engage and hold at least a portion of said upper and lower members apart so as to maintain the increased height of said implant and resist collapse of said implant to the collapsed implant height when said implant is in a final deployed position, said at least one blocker being configured to rotate about an axis of rotation generally parallel to the mid-longitudinal axis of said implant in a plane generally perpendicular to the mid-longitudinal axis of said implant and to remain in said plane while transitioning said upper and lower members from said first position to said second position, said at least one blocker having an upper surface, a lower surface, and side surfaces as defined when said at least one blocker is positioned to increase the height of said implant, said side surfaces intersecting said upper and said lower surfaces at two pairs of diametrically opposed junctions, said at least one blocker having a first height dimension corresponding to the maximum height of said at least one blocker when said implant is initially inserted between the adjacent bone masses, and said at least one blocker having a second height dimension corresponding to the maximum height of said at least one blacker when said at least one blacker is rotated into a final deployed position of said at least one blocker to increase the height of said implant, said second height dimension of said at least one blocker being greater than said first height dimension of said at least one blacker, said first height and said second height being in a plane; and

a hollow defined between said upper and lower member, the pivot axis of said upper and lower members extending through said hollow.

18. A push-in orthopedic implant having a length for at least in part linear insertion at least in part between two adjacent bone masses, said implant comprising:

an upper member having a portion being at least in part arcuate adapted for placement toward and into contact with one of the adjacent bone masses, said upper member having at least one opening adapted to communicate with one of the adjacent bone masses, said upper member having a proximal end and a distal end;

a lower member having a portion being at least in part arcuate adapted for placement toward and into contact with the other of the adjacent bone masses, said lower member having at least one opening adapted to communicate with the other of the adjacent bone masses, said openings of said upper and lower members being in communication with one another and adapted for permitting for the growth of bone from adjacent bone mass to adjacent bone mass through said implant, said lower member having a proximal end and a distal end corresponding to said proximal end and said distal end of said upper member, respectively, said upper and lower members adapted to rotatably articulate about a pivot axis adjacent one of said proximal ends and said distal ends of said upper and lower members, the articulation of said upper and lower members allowing for expansion of a height of said implant, the pivot axis being transverse to a mid-longitudinal axis of said implant, said upper and lower members having a first position relative to one another allowing for a collapsed implant height and a second position relative to one another allowing for an increased height;

at least one blocker adapted to cooperatively engage and hold at least a portion of said upper and lower members apart so as to maintain the increased height of said implant and resist collapse of said implant to the collapsed implant height when said implant is in a final deployed position, said at least one blocker being configured to rotate about an axis of rotation generally parallel to the mid-longitudinal axis of said implant in a plane generally perpendicular to the mid-longitudinal axis of said implant and to remain in said plane while transitioning said upper and lower members from said first position to said second position, said at least one blocker having an upper surface, a lower surface, and side surfaces as defined when said at least one blocker is positioned to increase the said at least one blocker having a height dimension measured between said upper and lower surfaces greater than a thickness dimension measured parallel to the axis of rotation, said side surfaces intersecting said upper and said lower surfaces at two pairs of diametrically opposed junctions; and

a hollow defined between said upper and lower member, the pivot axis of said upper and lower members extending through said hollow, wherein said implant has side walls and said at least one blocker does not contact said side walls when said implant is in the final deployed position.