Intervertebral implant for transforaminal posterior lumbar interbody fusion procedure

A kit for implanting an intervertebral implant into an affected disc space of a patient via a transforaminal window comprising:

• an implant having a body with curved, substantially parallel posterior and anterior faces separated by two narrow implant ends, superior and inferior faces having a plurality of undulating surfaces for contacting upper and lower vertebral endplates, and at least one depression at a first end for engagement by an insertion tool;
• and
• an insertion tool for holding the implant during insertion,
• wherein the arcuate implant configuration facilitates insertion of the implant via the transforaminal window.

A method for implanting an intervertebral implant into an affected disc space of a patient comprising:

• creating a transforaminal window from the posterior side of the spine;
• inserting bone graft material into the affected disc space;
• providing an implant having a body with curved, substantially parallel posterior and anterior faces separated by two narrow implant ends, superior and inferior faces having a plurality of undulating surfaces for contacting upper and lower vertebral endplates;
• inserting the implant into the affected disc space via the transforaminal window with an insertion tool;
• guiding the implant around the dura through the transforaminal window using the insertion tool.

An intravertebral implant for maintaining a desired space between vertebral bodies comprising:

• a solid body having
• a convex anterior face, the anterior face shaped to match the shape of the anterior perimeter of the vertebrae;
• a concave posterior face;
• arcuate convex end faces connected between the posterior and anterior faces, the posterior and anterior faces being at least double the length of the end faces and the posterior and anterior faces each having at least one channel extending from one of the end faces toward the other end face configured and adapted to be engageable with an insertion tool;
• and
• superior and inferior faces for contacting upper and lower vertebral end plates, the superior and inferior faces having teeth,
• wherein the implant is configured and adapted to be inserted into the disc space through a transforaminal window formed in the posterior of the spinal column and positioned behind the dura between vertebral end plates to maintain balanced support about the midline of the spine.