Expandable interbody spacer device

1. A method for restoring space between two adjacent vertebrae, the method comprising:

providing an expandable interbody spacer capable of having a collapsed condition and expanded condition, the spacer comprising:

a superior component having an external surface for contacting at least a portion of one of the adjacent vertebrae,

an inferior component having an external surface for contacting at least a portion of the other adjacent vertebrae, wherein the superior and inferior components are moveable relative to each other so that the spacer may move between the collapsed condition and the expanded condition;

at least one boss member positioned between and moveable relative to at least one of the superior component and inferior component, the boss member including a side surface and a distal end surface; and

a plurality of expandable clip members, each clip member having a top surface, a relaxed position, a deflected position, and a space, wherein the boss member is arranged and configured to pass through the space when the clip member is in the deflected position and the clip member interferes with the movement of and does not permit the boss member to pass through the space when the clip member is in the relaxed position, each of the clip members being in the deflected position when the spacer is in the collapsed condition;

inserting the spacer into a cavity of a vertebral column, wherein the cavity is defined by an intervertebral disc space or a space in a vertebral body;

expanding the spacer from the collapsed condition to the expanded condition by moving the superior component of the spacer relative to the inferior component of the spacer such that the distal end surface of the boss member passes a top surface of at least one of the plurality of clip members such that the at least one clip member moves from the deflected position to the relaxed position, wherein moving the superior component relative to the inferior component deflects the clip members in a series to the relaxed position and allows the spacer to expand in predefined increments, wherein the expansion of the spacer provides a correction to the vertebral column; and

determining the total correction made to the vertebral column by the expansion of the spacer.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein, each clip member is stacked one on top of the other to form at least one stack of clip members.

3. The method of claim 2 the method further comprising:

adjusting the height of the spacer by incrementally expanding the spacer by moving the superior component of the spacer relative to the inferior component of the spacer such that the distal end surface of the boss member passes a top surface of each of the clip members, wherein each clip member moves from the deflected position to the relaxed position as the boss member passes a top surface thereof as the spacer expands.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the spacer further comprises more than one stack of clip members, each stack comprising a plurality of clip members.

5. The spacer of claim 1 wherein the clip members have integral resilient and elastically deflectable arms that move upon application of a force.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the superior component of the spacer includes at least one boss member extending from the superior component toward the inferior component, and the inferior component of the spacer includes a post member extending from the inferior component toward the superior component, wherein the post member is associated with the boss member such that the post member may telescope with respect to the boss member as the implant expands and collapses.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein as the spacer is expanding, the clip members move to a relaxed position underneath the boss member as the distal end of the boss member passes the top surface of the clip member and supports the superior component when subjected to axial compression.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the spacer further comprises a stop mechanism to limit the expansion of the spacer.

9. The method of claim 1 the method further comprising inserting a distractor to move the superior component relative to the inferior component to expand the spacer from the collapsed condition to the expanded condition.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the spacer further comprises a housing that covers the spacer, wherein the housing comprises a window for access to the spacer.

11. The method of claim 10 the method further comprising inserting grafting material into the spacer through the window of the housing.

12. A method for restoring space between two adjacent vertebrae, the method comprising:

providing an expandable interbody spacer capable of having a collapsed condition and expanded condition, the spacer having:

a superior component having an external surface for contacting at least a portion of one of the adjacent vertebrae,

an inferior component having an external surface for contacting at least a portion of the other adjacent vertebrae, wherein the superior and inferior components are moveable relative to each other so that the spacer may move between the collapsed condition and the expanded condition;

a plurality of boss members positioned between and moveable relative to at least one of the superior component and interior component, the boss members including a side surface and a distal end surface;

a plurality of expandable clip members forming a plurality of stacks of clip members, each clip member having a top surface, a relaxed position, a deflected position, and a space, wherein the boss members are arranged and configured to pass through the space when the clip members are in the deflected position and the clip members interfere with the movement of and do not permit the boss members to pass through the space when the clip members are in the relaxed position, each of the clip members being in the deflected position when the spacer is in the collapsed condition; and

a housing that covers the spacer, wherein the housing comprises a window for access to the spacer;

inserting the spacer, into a cavity of a vertebral column, wherein the cavity is defined by an intervertebral disc space or a space in a vertebral body;

expanding the spacer from the collapsed condition to the expanded condition by moving the superior component of the spacer relative to the inferior component of the spacer such that the distal end surface of the boss members passes a top surface of at least the clip members such that the at least one clip member moves from the deflected position to the relaxed position, wherein moving the superior component relative to the inferior component deflects the clip members in a series to the relaxed position and allows the spacer to expand in predefined increments, wherein the expansion of the spacer provides a correction to the vertebral column; and

determining the total correction made to the vertebral column by the expansion of the spacer.

13. The method of claim 12 the method further comprising inserting grafting material into the spacer through the window of the housing.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the clip members have resilient arms that expand upon application of a force.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the plurality of stacked resilient clips form at least two separate stacks of clip members, each stack of clip members associated with a different boss member.

16. The spacer of claim 15 wherein the superior and inferior components include edges along their perimeter, the separately stacked clip members located between the boss members and perimeter edges of the superior and inferior components.

17. The method of claim 12 the method further comprising:

adjusting the height of the spacer by incrementally expanding the spacer by moving the superior component of the spacer relative to the inferior component of the spacer such that the distal end surface of the boss member passes a top surface of each of the clip members, wherein each clip member moves from the deflected position to the relaxed position as the boss member passes a top surface thereof as the spacer expands.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein as the spacer is expanding, the clip members move to a relaxed position underneath the boss member as the distal end of the boss member passes the top surface of the clip member and supports the superior component when subjected to axial compression.

19. A method for restoring space between two adjacent vertebrae, the method comprising:

providing an expandable interbody spacer capable of having a collapsed condition and expanded condition, the spacer comprising:

a superior component having an external surface for contacting at least a portion of one of the adjacent vertebrae,

an inferior component having an external surface for contacting at least a portion of the other adjacent vertebrae, wherein the superior and inferior components are moveable relative to each other so that the spacer may move between the collapsed condition and the expanded condition;

at least one boss member positioned between and moveable relative to at least one of the superior component and inferior component, the boss member including a side surface and a distal end surface; and

a plurality of expandable clip members, each clip member having a top surface, a relaxed position, a deflected position, and a space, wherein the boss member is arranged and configured to pass through the space when the clip member is in the deflected position and the clip member interferes with the movement of and does not permit the boss member to pass through the space when the clip member is in the relaxed position, each of the clip members being in the deflected position when the spacer is in the collapsed condition;

a housing that covers the spacer, wherein the housing comprises a window for access to the spacer;

inserting the spacer into a cavity of a vertebral column, wherein the cavity is defined by an intervertebral disc space or a space in a vertebral body;

expanding the spacer from the collapsed condition to the expanded condition by moving the superior component of the spacer relative to the inferior component of the spacer such that the distal end surface of the boss member passes a top surface of at least one of the clip members, such that the at least one clip member moves from the deflected position to the relaxed position, wherein moving the superior component relative to the inferior component deflects the clip members in a series to the relaxed position and allows the spacer to expand in predefined increments, wherein the expansion of the spacer provides a correction to the vertebral column;

determining the total correction made to the vertebral column by the expansion of the spacer; and

inserting grafting material into the spacer through the window of the housing.