Articulating Interbody Cage and Methods Thereof

A device comprising:

• a caudal plate positioned adjacent a first vertebral endplate within an intervertebral disc space;
• a cephalad plate positioned adjacent a second vertebral endplate within the intervertebral disc space;
• a first and second sidewall each rotatably coupled to both the caudal and cephalad plates;
• and
• at least one brace element generally positioned within the confines of the caudal and cephalad plates as well as the first and second sidewalls of the device, wherein the brace element resists compressive loading of the device along an axis or axes extending between caudal and cephalad plates,
• wherein the device is configured to be inserted into the intervertebral disc space in a first dimension and subsequently expanded to a second dimension larger than the first dimension.

A device comprising:

• a caudal plate positioned adjacent a first vertebral endplate within an intervertebral disc space;
• a cephalad plate positioned adjacent a second vertebral endplate within the intervertebral disc space;
• at least one lateral wall rotatably coupled to the caudal and cephalad plates;
• and
• an internal brace element,
• wherein the device is configured to be inserted into the intervertebral disc space in a first dimension and subsequently expanded to a second dimension larger than the first dimension and expanded along a cephalad-caudal axis or arc through a wedging effect of introducing the internal brace element.

A system for expanding a device for displacing adjacent bone elements, comprising:

• an insertion tool;
• an expandable frame surrounding an internal volume and positionable between adjacent bone elements;
• and
• a wedging element positionable within the frame,
• wherein the insertion tool is configured to expand the frame into a larger dimension to impose a displacing force on the adjacent bone elements by advancing the wedging element into the internal volume of the expandable frame along an axis while concurrently restraining the expandable frame from advancing along the axis.

A device comprising:

• a caudal plate positioned adjacent a first vertebral endplate within an intervertebral disc space;
• a cephalad plate positioned adjacent a second vertebral endplate within the intervertebral disc space;
• and
• a first and second sidewall each rotatably coupled to both the caudal and cephalad plates, wherein at least one of the first and second sidewalls includes a hinge element restricted from achieving an on-center or over-center rotational position around the hinge element upon dimensional expansion of the device in at least a first dimension,
• wherein at least one of the first and second sidewalls comprises a meeting edge surface having a first interlocking element configured to abut with a corresponding second interlocking element positioned on an opposing meeting edge surface.

A method for expanding a device for displacing adjacent bone elements, comprising:

• inserting a wedging element within a frame of the device positioned between adjacent bone elements using an insertion tool;
• advancing the wedging element using the insertion tool along an axis while concurrently restraining the frame from advancing along the axis using the insertion tool;
• and
• expanding the frame of the device with the wedging element to impose a displacing force by the frame on the adjacent bone elements.