An intervertebral implant for restoring natural function to a spine following the removal or an intervertebral disk or part thereof. The implant comprises a central axis, a top part, a bottom part and a joint arranged axially between the top part and the bototm part. The top part comprises a top surface, a ventral side surface, a dorsal side surface and two lateral side surfaces, wherein the top surface is suitable to be placed on the base plate of a body of the vertebra adjacent and above the site of removal. The bottom part has a bottom surface, a ventral side surface, a dorsal side surface and two lateral side surfaces; wherein the bottom surface is suitable to be placed on the cover plate of a body of the vertebra adjacent and below the site of removal. The joint comprises a convex joint part with a first articular surface and a joint shell matching it, with a second articular surface mounted in a sliding manner on the first articular surface. Both the top part and the bottom part comprise means to accommodate temporarily locking means to fix the two parts relative to one another. And the intervertebral implant comprises at least one locking means that can be inserted into and removed from the accommodating means.