Expandable spinal implant apparatus and method of use

An expandable intervertebral spacer, comprising:

• a spacer body having a longitudinal dimension extending along a longitudinal axis between a proximal end and a distal end, the spacer body including a top component having a top surface and a base component having a bottom surface, the base component being engaged with the top component so as to permit movement of the top and base components relative to one another along a height dimension to thereby vary a distance between the top and bottom surfaces along the height dimension;
• at least one distal guide and at least one proximal guide, the at least one distal guide and the at least one proximal guide being configured to guide the movement of the top and base components of the spacer body along the height dimension, and the at least one distal guide and the at least one proximal guide being spaced apart from one another along the longitudinal dimension of the spacer so as to define an intermediate region therebetween;
• and
• an actuator configured to be actuated by advancing along an actuation axis transverse to the longitudinal axis so as to drive expansion of the spacer body, the advancing of the actuator along the actuation axis including progressive movement of the actuator into the spacer body along the actuation axis as actuation progresses, and the progressive movement of the actuator into the spacer body along the actuation axis inducing the expansion of the spacer body by progressively increasing the distance between the top surface of the top component and the bottom surface of the base component, and the actuation axis being arranged such that actuation of the actuator advances the actuator into the spacer body along the actuation axis towards the intermediate region between the at least one proximal guide and the at least one distal guide.