Interspinous spacer

1. An implant for placement between adjacent spinous processes in a spinal motion segment, the implant comprising:

a body defining a longitudinal axis;

a first arm rotatably connected to the body and including a pair of first extensions configured to receive a first spinous process between the first extensions to laterally stabilize the body with respect to the first spinous process when in a deployed configuration;

and a second arm rotatably connected to the body and including a pair of second extensions configured to receive a second spinous process between the second extensions to laterally stabilize the body with respect to the second spinous process when in a deployed configuration; and

wherein the first and second arms in a undeployed configuration are positioned for placement between adjacent spinous processes in which at least one of the adjacent spinous processes has a projection in a coronal plane that is angled with respect to a sagittal plane of the implant, wherein the implant operates to drive each of the first and second arms along a respective are of at least 90 degrees to rotate from the undeployed configuration to a deployed configuration such that the first and second extensions move away from the longitudinal axis and each other,

wherein the first arm is pivotally coupled to the body such that the first extensions rotate together relative to the body to allow positioning of both of the first extensions on either side of the sagittal plane of the implant and positioning of the first spinous process between the first extensions when in the deployed configuration.

2. The implant of claim 1 further including a first bridge connected between the first extensions to define a first spinous process receiving portion.

3. The implant of claim 2 wherein the first extensions and first bridge are angled with respect to the sagittal plane of the implant.

4. The implant of claim 3 wherein the first bridge is substantially perpendicular to the first extensions.

5. The implant of claim 1 further including a first bridge connected between the first extensions to define a first spinous process receiving portion and a second bridge connected between the second extensions to define a second spinous process receiving portion.

6. The implant of claim 5 wherein the pair of first extensions is angled with respect to the sagittal plane of the implant and the pair of second extensions is angled with respect to the sagittal plane of the implant and the first and second bridges are perpendicular to their respective extensions to which they are connected.

7. The implant of claim 1 wherein the pair of first extensions is angled with respect to the sagittal plane of the implant and the pair of second extensions is angled with respect to the sagittal plane of the implant.

8. The implant of claim 1 , wherein the first arm is configured to rotate from the undeployed configuration to the deployed configuration independent of a position of both of the first extensions which are located on one side of the sagittal plane of the implant.

9. The implant of claim 1 , wherein an angle between a bridge of the first arm and the sagittal plane of the implant is locked by a drive tool prior to the first and second arms rotating from the undeployed configuration to the deployed configuration.

10. An implant for placement between adjacent spinous processes in a spinal motion segment comprising:

a body defining a longitudinal axis;

a first arm connected to the body, the first arm having a first pair of extensions defining a spinous process receiving portion for seating a superior spinous process therein; and

a second arm connected to the body, the second arm having a second pair of extensions defining a spinous process receiving portion for seating an inferior spinous process therein;

wherein at least one of the first arm or second arm is pivotally coupled to the body to allow the at least one of the first arm or second arm to move toward either side of a sagittal plane of the body, and a distance between the first pair of extensions is greater than a distance between the second pair of extensions,

wherein the implant is operable to move the first and second arms from an undeployed configuration to a deployed configuration to move the first pair of extensions and the second pair of extensions outwardly away from the longitudinal axis while at least one of first or second pair of extensions is positioned to one side of the sagittal plane.

11. The implant of claim 10 wherein the first pair of extensions are substantially parallel and the second pair of extensions are substantially parallel.

12. The implant of claim 10 , wherein the first arm is a rigid shaped arm with a first bridge extending between the first pair of extensions, wherein the first arm is pivotally coupled to the body such that the first pair of extensions and the first bridge rotate together relative to the body to position the first pair of extensions on one side of the sagittal plane.

13. The implant of claim 10 , wherein the first arm is movable relative to the body to adjust an angle between a bridge of the first arm and the sagittal plane of the implant, the bridge extends between the first pair of extensions, and wherein the first arm is configured to rotate from the undeployed configuration to the deployed configuration independent of the angle.

14. The implant of claim 10 , wherein the first arm and/or the second arm rotates along an are of at least 90 degrees from an undeployed configuration to a deployed configuration.

15. An implant for placement between adjacent spinous processes of a patient, the implant comprising:

a body defining a longitudinal axis and a sagittal plane;

a first U-shaped arm pivotally coupled to the body and including a pair of first extensions defining a first spinous process receiving portion for seating a first spinous process of the patient, the first U-shaped arm is configured to pivot relative to the body to a first position with both of the first extensions on a first side of the sagittal plane and to pivot relative to the body to a second position with both of the first extensions on a second side of the sagittal plane opposite the first side and the implant is configured, when the first U-shaped arm is pivoted to the first position or the second position, for locking the first U-shaped arm into the first position or the second position using a driving tool; and

a second U-shaped arm connected to the body and including a second pair of extensions defining a spinous process receiving portion for seating a second spinous process of the patient, the second U-shaped arm is configured to pivot relative to the body to a third position with both of the second extensions on a first side of the sagittal plane and to pivot relative to the body to a fourth position with both of the second extensions on a second side of the sagittal plane opposite the first side and the implant is configured, when the second U-shaped arm is pivoted to the third position or the fourth position, for locking the second U-shaped arm into the third position or the fourth position using the driving tool,

wherein the implant is operable to cause at least one of the first U-shaped arm or the second U-shaped arm to pivot from a undeployed configuration to a deployed configuration along an arc of at least 90 degrees.