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To change a spatial relationship between two or more bones in a patient's body, a wedge member is moved into a joint between the bones. As the wedge member enters the joint, pivotal movement occurs between the bones to change the orientation of the bones relative to each other. The wedge member may

To change a spatial relationship between two or more bones in a patient's body, a wedge member is moved into a joint between the bones. As the wedge member enters the joint, pivotal movement occurs between the bones to change the orientation of the bones relative to each other. The wedge member may have a porous construction which enables bone to grow through the wedge member and immobilize the joint. The wedge member may be coated with and/or contain bone growth promoting material. The wedge member may be connected to only one of the bones or may be connected to two adjacent bones. If the wedge member is connected to only one bone, the joint may be capable of being flexed after the wedge member is inserted into the joint.

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1. An implantable device for maintaining an expanded condition of a vertebral joint between a first vertebra and a second vertebra, the implantable device comprising: a body including a central longitudinal axis, a trailing end portion, a leading end portion, a first side portion, a second side port

1. An implantable device for maintaining an expanded condition of a vertebral joint between a first vertebra and a second vertebra, the implantable device comprising: a body including a central longitudinal axis, a trailing end portion, a leading end portion, a first side portion, a second side portion, an upper surface and a lower surface, the upper surface defining a peripheral edge, a first passage extending through the trailing end portion and the upper surface and a second passage extending through the trailing end portion and the lower surface, a bone growth passage extending through the body between the upper surface and the lower surface, the bone growth passage surrounded by the peripheral edge, the bone growth passage includes an open upper end and an open lower end, wherein the open upper end is positioned at the upper surface, the bone growth passage configured to permit bone growth through the body, the central longitudinal axis positioned between the upper and lower surfaces of the body and being generally perpendicular to the bone growth passage, the first passage positioned on a first side of the central longitudinal axis and the second passage positioned on a second side of the central longitudinal axis, a leading thickness of the leading end portion being substantially consistent at a leading plane perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis, thereby defining a first leading thickness at the first side portion, a second leading thickness at the second side portion and a middle leading thickness between the first and second leading thicknesses, the first leading thickness, the second leading thickness and the middle leading thickness being substantially equal, a trailing thickness of the trailing end portion being substantially consistent at a trailing plane perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis, thereby defining a first trailing thickness at the first side portion, a second trailing thickness at the second side portion and a middle trailing thickness between the first and second trailing thicknesses, the first trailing thickness, the second trailing thickness and the middle trailing thickness being substantially equal, the trailing thickness being greater than the leading thickness. 2. The implantable device of claim 1, further comprising: a first fastener having a first head and a first shaft, the first fastener positionable in the first passage; andan second fastener having a second head and a second shaft, the second fastener positionable in the second passage, the first head positionable at least partially in the first passage in a mounted configuration and the second head positionable at least partially in the second passage in the mounted configuration. 3. The implantable device of claim 2, wherein the first head is positionable in a first countersink proximate a trailing end of the trailing end portion in the mounted configuration, the first shaft is positionable in a first channel in the mounted configuration, the second head is positionable in a second countersink proximate the trailing end in the mounted configuration and the second shaft is positionable in a second channel in the mounted configuration, the first passage comprised of the first countersink and the first channel, the second passage comprised of the second countersink and the second channel. 4. The implantable device of claim 3, wherein the first head is positionable entirely within the first countersink in the mounted configuration and the second head is positionable entirely within the second countersink in the mounted configuration. 5. The implantable device of claim 1, wherein the first passage includes a first countersink extending from a trailing end of the trailing end portion to a first channel, the first channel extending from the first countersink to the upper surface, the second passage includes a second countersink extending from the trailing end to a second channel, the second channel extending from the second countersink to the lower surface. 6. The implantable device of claim 1, wherein the body is constructed of a material selected from the group consisting of a human bone material, an animal bone material, a metallic material, a ceramic material and a polymeric material. 7. The implantable device of claim 1, wherein the body is constructed of a polymeric material. 8. The implantable device of claim 1, wherein the body includes a tooling socket aligned on the central longitudinal axis. 9. The implantable device of claim 1, wherein a leading end of the leading end portion is comprised of a blunt end portion. 10. The implantable device of claim 1, wherein the bone growth passage is packable with bone growth material. 11. The implantable device of claim 1, wherein the body includes first and second side surfaces, the first and second side surfaces being shaped to correspond to the configuration of end plates of the first and second vertebrae at the vertebral joint, respectively. 12. The implantable device of claim 1, wherein the body is coated with a material that promotes growth of bone. 13. The implantable device of claim 1, wherein the upper and lower surfaces taper toward each other from the trailing end portion to the leading end portion. 14. The implantable device of claim 1, wherein the upper and lower surfaces define an acute angle. 15. The implantable device of claim 14, wherein the acute angle is between one and thirty degrees (1-30°) . 16. The implantable device of claim 14, wherein the acute angle is between five and twenty degrees (5-20°) . 17. The implantable device of claim 1, wherein the upper surface defines an upper plane and the lower surface defines a lower plane, the first passage extending to the upper plane and the second passage extending to the lower plane. 18. The implantable device of claim 1, further comprising: a first countersink associated with the first passage at a trailing end of the trailing end portion; anda second countersink associated with the second passage at a trailing end of the trailing end portion. 19. The implantable device of claim 1, wherein the body is formed of a solid piece of material. 20. The implantable device of claim 1, wherein the body is formed by a piece of porous material. 21. The implantable device of claim 1, wherein the body is formed by a hollow piece of porous material. 22. An implantable device for maintaining an expanded condition of a vertebral joint between a first vertebra and a second vertebra, the implantable device comprising: a body including a trailing end portion, a leading end portion, a first side, a second side, an upper surface and a lower surface, a central longitudinal axis extending through the trailing end portion and the leading end portion, the body configured to slide into the vertebral joint in an insertion direction, the central longitudinal axis oriented generally parallel to the insertion direction, first and second passages formed in the body, the first passage extending through the trailing end portion at a first trailing end hole, the second passage extending through the trailing end portion at a second trailing end hole, the first trailing end hole and the second trailing end hole being positioned at opposite sides of the central longitudinal axis, a bone growth passage formed in the body having an open upper end at the upper surface and an open lower end at the lower surface, the bone growth passage being generally linear and extending generally perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis, the body having a peripheral edge defined at an intersection of the upper surface with the trailing end portion, the first side, the second side and the leading end portion, the peripheral edge surrounding the open upper end, the trailing end portion having a substantially constant trailing thickness taken at a trailing plane that is perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis, thereby defining a first trailing thickness at the first side, a second trailing thickness at the second side and a middle trailing thickness between the first and second trailing thicknesses, the first trailing thickness, the second trailing thickness and the middle trailing thickness being substantially equal, the leading end portion having a substantially constant leading thickness taken at a leading plane that is perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis, thereby defining a first leading thickness at the first side and a second leading thickness at the second side, the first leading thickness and the second leading thickness being substantially equal, the trailing thickness being greater than the leading thickness, the bone growth passage configured for packing with bone growth material to facilitate bone growth between the first vertebra and the second vertebra in a mounted configuration. 23. The implantable device of claim 22, further comprising: a first fastener having a first head and a first shaft, the first fastener positionable in the first passage with the first head proximate the first trailing end hole in the mounted configuration; andan second fastener having a second head and a second shaft, the second fastener positionable in the second passage with the second head proximate the second trailing end hole in the mounted configuration. 24. The implantable device of claim 23, wherein the first head includes a first rear surface and the first shaft includes first threads proximate a first front end, the second head includes a second rear surface and the second shaft includes second threads proximate a second front end, the first rear surface and the second rear surface positionable at a trailing end of the trailing end portion in the mounted configuration. 25. The implantable device of claim 23, wherein the first passage includes a first countersink in the trailing end portion and a first channel extending from the first countersink to the upper surface, the second passage includes a second countersink in the trailing end portion and a second channel extending from the second countersink to the lower surface. 26. The implantable device of claim 25, wherein the first shaft is positionable in the first channel and the second shaft is positionable in the second channel in the mounted configuration, first threads of the first fastener configured to engage hard cortical bone of the first vertebra in the mounted configuration, second threads of the second fastener configured to engage hard cortical bone of the second vertebra in the mounted configuration. 27. The implantable device of claim 22, wherein the bone growth material is constructed of a material selected from the group consisting of a bone morphogenic protein, an apatite composition with collagen, a demineralized bone powder and an osteoinductive material. 28. The implantable device of claim 22, wherein the body includes a socket in the trailing end portion aligned with the central longitudinal axis. 29. The implantable device of claim 28, wherein the socket is comprised of a tool socket. 30. The implantable device of claim 28, wherein the socket is comprised of a hexagonal recess. 31. The implantable device of claim 22, wherein a leading end of the leading end portion is comprised of a thin leading end. 32. The implantable device of claim 31, wherein the thin leading end comes to a sharp point. 33. The implantable device of claim 22, wherein a leading end of the leading end portion is comprised of a blunt end portion. 34. The implantable device of claim 22, wherein the body is formed of a rigid open cell material. 35. The implantable device of claim 22, wherein the first trailing end hole is horizontally aligned with the second trailing end hole. 36. The implantable device of claim 22, wherein the body is constructed of a polymeric material. 37. The implantable device of claim 22, wherein the first passage is positioned between the central longitudinal axis and the first side and the second passage is positioned between the central longitudinal axis and the second side. 38. The implantable device of claim 22, wherein the body is formed of a solid piece of material. 39. The implantable device of claim 22, wherein the body is formed by a piece of porous material. 40. The implantable device of claim 1, wherein the upper and lower surfaces are flat. 41. The implantable device of claim 1, wherein the body includes first and second side surfaces, the leading end portion includes a leading end, a first end defined at an intersection of the first side surface and the leading end and a second end defined at an intersection of the second side surface and the leading end, the leading end being substantially straight between the first end and the second end. 42. The implantable device of claim 41, wherein the first and second side surfaces are arcuate. 43. The implantable device of claim 1, wherein the leading end portion has a leading end and the trailing end portion has a trailing end, a body length defined between the trailing end and the leading end and the body having a width, the width being greater than the body length. 44. The implantable device of claim 22, wherein the upper and lower surfaces are flat. 45. The implantable device of claim 22, wherein the body includes first and second side surfaces, the leading end portion includes a leading end, a first end defined at an intersection of the first side surface and the leading end and a second end defined at an intersection of the second side surface and the leading end, the leading end being substantially straight between the first end and the second end. 46. The implantable device of claim 45, wherein the first and second side surfaces are arcuate. 47. The implantable device of claim 22, wherein the leading end portion has a leading end and the trailing end portion has a trailing end, a body length defined between the trailing end and the leading end and the body having a width, the width being greater than the body length.