Materials, Devices and Methods for Intervertebral Stabilization Via Use of In Situ Shape Recovery

A method for expanding an intervertebral disc space comprising:

• selecting a deformable implant comprising a predetermined physical configuration and a deforming temperature;
• heating the deformable implant to a temperature above the deforming temperature;
• collapsing the deformable implant to a desired collapsed deformable implant configuration;
• cooling the collapsed deformable implant below the deforming temperature to maintain the collapsed deformed implant configuration;
• inserting the collapsed deformable implant into the intervertebral disc space;
• and
• the collapsed deformable implant, absorbing ambient body heat and thereby expanding to a final implant shape within the intervertebral disc space;
• wherein the expandable deformable implant imparts a distraction force on the adjacent vertebrae to obtain an expanded intervertebral disc space.