US Patent 7993404 Transformable spinal implants and methods of use

The present application is directed to transformable implants for a variety of medical applications. The implants transform from a malleable pre-filled article into a more rigid device via hardening of the implant material. The malleable aspects of the implants facilitate delivery and insertion for implantation in a minimally invasive procedure. The hardened implants provide for load-bearing that maximizes in vivo performance. Activation for hardening the implant material may be accomplished by various means, and may occur prior to insertion into the patient, during insertion into the patient, or after insertion into the patient.