Expandable vertebral implant

1. An expandable prosthetic implant for engagement between vertebrae, comprising:

an inner member having a hollow interior portion and a threaded external portion and including a first end portion configured to engage a first vertebral body;

an outer member having a hollow interior portion configured to coaxially receive the inner member therein and including a second end portion configured to engage a second vertebral body, wherein the inner and outer members are moveable relative to each other along a longitudinal axis;

a gear member positioned coaxial to the inner member and outer member and axially fixed to the outer member and freely rotatable with respect to the outer member;

a locking member received in the outer member, the locking member having at least one arm, an engagement member and a through-hole;

wherein the gear member threadedly engages the threaded portion of the inner member, and wherein the gear member includes a plurality of cutouts capable of being engaged by the engagement member,

wherein the first and second end portions are configured to respectively engage first and second vertebrae,

wherein the implant is configured to engage the vertebrae such that first and second end portions are oriented in a predetermined alignment with respect to the first and second vertebral bodies,

wherein the gear member includes gear teeth extending around the perimeter of the gear member, the gear teeth extending from a proximal end of the gear member to a distal end of the gear member

wherein in a first position, the engagement member of the locking member is received in the cutout of the gear member preventing the gear member from rotating and in a second position, the engagement member of the locking member is not received in the cutout of the gear member allowing the gear member to rotate,

wherein in the first position, the at least one arm is not flexed, and in the second position, the at least one arm is flexed.

2. The implant of claim 1 , wherein the implant has a longitudinal axis and the gear teeth extend substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis.

3. The implant of claim 2 , wherein the gear teeth are exposed and configured to be accessible by a tool member, the tool member engages the gear teeth substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis.

4. The implant of claim 1 , wherein the outer member includes a resiliently deformable portion for receiving the gear member thereon.

5. The implant of claim 1 , wherein the inner member, outer member, and gear member are made of a PEEK plastic material.

6. The implant of claim 1 , wherein the locking member fixes the inner member with respect to the outer member.

7. The implant of claim 1 , wherein the inner member is rotationally fixed with respect to the outer member.

8. The implant of claim 7 , wherein the inner member includes a flattened portion and the outer member includes a flattened portion, the flattened portion cooperate to prevent rotational movement of the inner member with respect to the outer member.

9. The implant of claim 7 , wherein the inner member includes a base portion having at least one lobe and the outer member includes at least one depression, the lobes and depression cooperate to prevent rotational movement of the inner member with respect to the outer member.

10. The implant of claim 1 , the implant further comprising: at least one endplate, wherein the endplate is connected to either the inner member or the outer member, and wherein the endplate includes at least one screw hole for receiving a screw.

11. The implant of claim 10 , wherein the endplate further comprises a blocking element for blocking the screw from backing out once the screw is seated in the screw hole.

12. The implant of claim 1 , the implant further comprising: a first endplate and a second endplate, wherein the first endplate is connected to the inner member and the second endplate connected to the outer member.

13. The implant of claim 12 , wherein the first and second endplates include at least one bone engaging member extending longitudinally from the end plates.

14. The implant of claim 13 , wherein the bone engaging members comprise generally conical spikes.

15. The implant of claim 12 , wherein the thickness of at least one of the first and second endplates varies gradually in the anterior-posterior direction such that the endplate defines a generally wedge-shaped profile.

16. The implant of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the first and second endplates is poly-axially rotatable with respect to the inner or outer member.

17. An expandable prosthetic implant for engagement between vertebrae, comprising:

an inner member having a hollow interior portion and a threaded external portion and including a first end portion configured to engage a first vertebral body;

an outer member having an opening and a hollow interior portion configured to coaxially receive the inner member therein and including a second end portion configured to engage a second vertebral body, wherein the inner and outer members are moveable relative to each other along a longitudinal axis;

a gear member positioned coaxial to the inner member and outer member and axially fixed to the outer member and freely rotatable with respect to the outer member;

a locking member received in the outer member, the locking member having at least one arm, an engagement member, and a through-hole,

wherein the gear member threadedly engages the threaded portion of the inner member, and

wherein the gear member includes a plurality of cutouts capable of being engaged by the engagement member,

wherein in a first position, the engagement member of the locking member is received in the cutout of the gear member preventing the gear member from rotating and in a second position, the engagement member of the locking member is not received in the cutout of the gear member allowing the gear member to rotate,

wherein in the first position, the at least one arm is not flexed, and in the second position, the at least one arm is flexed.

18. The implant of claim 17 , wherein in the first position, the through-hole of the locking member has a central axis which is offset from a central axis of the opening in the outer member and in the second position, the through-hole of the locking member is coaxial with the opening in the outer member.