Minimally invasive spinal fusion system and method

Abstract

Disclosed herein are minimally invasive systems and methods for stabilizing the spine while maintaining the degree of flexion and extension of the spine at a postoperative stable vertebral level. The method may include, for example, inserting a hollow needle through a central lumen of an introducer cannula into the interior of a first vertebral body, through an intervertebral disc, and into a second vertebral body adjacent to the first vertebral body inserting the anchor through the central lumen of the hollow needle so that the distal end of the anchor is inside the second vertebral body and the proximal end of the anchor is inside the first vertebral body , and the central portion of the anchor spans the intervertebral disc; expands the distal end of the anchor in the interior of the second vertebra; expands the anchor in the interior of the first vertebra Proximity; making a first volume of bone cement medium flow into the distal end of the anchor within the interior of the second vertebral body; flowing a second volume of bone cement medium into the interior of the first vertebral body into the second vertebral body the proximal end of the anchor; and inserting a flexible rod through the central lumen of the hollow needle so that a distal portion of the flexible rod is located in the interior of the second vertebral body and in contact with the first volume of bone Cement medium contact, the proximal portion of the flexible rod is located in the interior of the first vertebra and in contact with the second volume of bone cement medium, and the central portion of the rod spans the intervertebral disc, wherein the flexible A rod is located at least partially inside the anchor.

Description

[0001] priority claim [0002] This application is a continuation of U.S. Patent Application No. 14 / 789,805, which is a continuation of U.S. Patent Application No. 14 / 559,071, filed December 3, 2014, which in turn was filed on August 20, 2014 Nonprovisional application to filed U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 039,863. The entire content of each of the foregoing applications is incorporated herein by reference. Background technique [0003] Most spinal fusion procedures are performed on back pain patients with or without radicular symptoms (radiating pain) or neuropathic claudication (pain when walking) caused by degenerative disc disease (spondylosis). Approximately 90 percent of all spine surgeries involve fusion. More than 465,000 spinal fusions were performed in the United States in 2011 at a cost of nearly $13 billion. [0004] Without being bound by theory, it is believed that the pain caused by this pathology results from abnormal movement (instability). F...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Bone fusion may take 6-12 months, and fusion failure rates of 10-40% have been reported in the literature

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