Exchange system for soft tissue access pathway

Abstract

Disclosed are surgical tools, tool sets and methods for percutaneously accessing and preparing treatment sites within the spine for subsequent treatment procedures. The treatment site may be an inter-vertebral motion segments in the lumbar and sacral regions of the spine. The tool set may comprise introducer tools and bone dilators for accessing and tapping into a targeted site, such as, for example, the anterior surface of the S1 vertebral body. The tool set may also comprise cutters and extractors for preparing the treatment site for subsequent treatment procedures. The tool set may additionally comprise a bone graft inserter, an exchange system, and / or a temporary distraction tool for further preparing the treatment site for subsequent treatment procedures.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This U.S. Patent Application claims priority and benefits from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 513,899, filed on Oct. 23, 2003, and co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 309,416, filed on Dec. 3, 2002, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 125,771, filed on Apr. 18, 2002, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 848,556, filed on May 3, 2001, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 782,583, filed on Feb. 13, 2001, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 182,748, filed on Feb. 16, 2000. This U.S. Patent Application also claims priority and benefits from co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 853,476, filed May 25, 2004, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 710,369, filed on Nov. 10, 2000. This U.S. Patent Application also claims priority and benefits from co-pending U.S. patent appli...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The present invention is about surgical tools and methods for accessing and preparing vertebral elements, such as inter-vertebral motion segments, for therapeutic procedures. The tools are designed to be introduced through percutaneous entry sites and can be used with fusion devices or mobility devices. The invention provides a set of surgical tools that can be used to access and prepare the spine for fusion or dynamic stabilization procedures. The tools are designed to be easily guided and positioned, and can be used with or without the use of imaging guidance. The invention also provides an exchange system for increasing the cross-sectional area of the spine. The surgical tools and methods of the invention offer improved access and reduced trauma to the patient, minimize blood loss, and require less surgical and anesthesia time compared to conventional procedures."

Problems solved by technology

Chronic lower back pain is a primary cause of lost work days in the United States, and as such is a significant factor affecting both workforce productivity and health care expense.

In addition, statistics show that only about 70% of these procedures performed will be successful in achieving this end.

Surgical procedures, such as spinal fusion and discectomy, may alleviate pain, but do not restore normal physiological disc function.

With age, the water and protein content of the body's cartilage changes resulting in thinner, more fragile cartilage.

Hence, the spinal discs and the facet joints that stack the vertebrae, both of which are partly composed of cartilage, are subject to similar degradation over time.

Weakening of the annulus may lead to disc bulging and herniation, i.e., the nucleus pulposus or softer portion of the disc can rupture through the annulus and abut the spinal cord or its nerves as they exit the bony spinal column.

When disc herniation occurs, the rupture of the nucleus pulposus the annulus fibrosis may irritate adjacent nervous tissue, causing local pain, or discogenic pain, in the affected area.

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