Interbody vertebral prosthetic and orthopedic fusion device with self-deploying anchors

An intervertebral prosthesis, comprising:

• a body including first and second spaced apart major surfaces, the first major surface for engaging an endplate of a first vertebral bone of a spine, and the second major surface for engaging an endplate of an adjacent, second vertebral bone of the spine, and the first and second major surfaces defining a longitudinal axis extending transversely through the first and second spaced apart major surfaces;
• a first aperture extending from within the body and opening at one of the first and second major surfaces;
• a first anchoring element disposed within the first aperture and including a shaft having proximal and distal ends, where the proximal end of the first anchoring element includes a first portion of a first articulation mechanism;
• and
• a drive mechanism having:
• (i) a threaded shaft defining a longitudinal axis thereof and a head at a proximal end of the threaded shaft, (ii) a translator element having a threaded bore in threaded engagement with the threaded shaft, and a coupling element having a corresponding second portion of the first articulation mechanism, where the first and second portions of the first articulation mechanism engage one another such that the first anchoring element articulates relative to the translator element, wherein:
• the threaded shaft is fixed in a direction of the longitudinal axis thereof, but rotatable, within the body, such that a rotation force on the threaded shaft causes the translator to:
• (i) move along the longitudinal axis of the threaded shaft, (ii) translate the proximal end of the first anchoring element parallel to the longitudinal axis of the threaded shaft and toward a distal end of the threaded shaft, and (iii) push the first anchoring element out through the first aperture.