Anterior-to-posterior uncinate joint stabilizer systems

A system for stabilizing a cervical spine segment, comprising:

• a pair of uncinate joint stabilizers for stabilizing a respective pair of uncinate joints of the cervical spine segment, each uncinate joint stabilizer being elongated along a lengthwise dimension and configured for placement in the respective uncinate joint with the lengthwise dimension substantially oriented along an anterior-to-posterior direction of the cervical spine segment, each uncinate joint stabilizer having height in a heightwise dimension orthogonal to the lengthwise dimension, the height being configured to define spacing of the respective uncinate joint, each uncinate joint stabilizer including a generally cylindrical portion with cylinder axis in the lengthwise dimension, the generally cylindrical portion having threads for threading the uncinate joint stabilizer into the respective uncinate joint along the anterior-to-posterior direction, the threads being interrupted by one or more fenestrations, oriented along the lengthwise direction, the fenestrations being configured to accommodate one or more materials selected from the group consisting of bone graft material, bone growth, and tissue displaced from the respective uncinate joint by the uncinate joint stabilizer, each uncinate joint stabilizer comprising a tapered portion that (a) is adjacent to the generally cylindrical portion, (b) is offset from the generally cylindrical portion in a direction along the lengthwise dimension, and (c) has decreasing extent transverse to the cylinder axis with increasing distance along the cylinder axis away from the generally cylindrical portion, such that the tapered portion eases insertion of the uncinate joint stabilizer into the respective uncinate joint along the anterior-to-posterior direction.