Method and apparatus for minimally invasive insertion of intervertebral implants
AssigneeDePuy Synthes Products, Inc.
InventorFaheem A. Sandhu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A dilation introducer for orthopedic surgery is provided for minimally invasive access for insertion of an intervertebral implant. The dilation introducer may be used to provide an access position through Kambin's triangle from a posterolateral approach. A first dilator tube with a first longitudinal axis is provided. An access cannula may be introduced over the first dilator tube. A drill may be inserted through the access cannula and used to perform a foraminoplasty. Surgical instruments may pass through the access cannula to operate on an intervertebral disc and/or insert an intervertebral implant.
Claims18
A method for accessing a patient's intervertebral disc to be treated in orthopedic surgery, comprising the steps of:
- introducing a guiding element along a posterolateral trajectory towards the intervertebral disc;
- passing sequential dilators over the guiding element so as to sequentially dilate soft tissue along the posterolateral trajectory;
- introducing a cannula over a largest one of the sequential dilators, wherein a distal end of the cannula is positioned to allow direct visualization of an exiting nerve root of a Kambin's triangle with a camera;
- directly visualizing the exiting nerve root with the camera through the cannula;
- after the introducing step, inserting a surgical instrument through the cannula, and performing a foraminoplasty through the cannula with the surgical instrument so as to enlarge the Kambin's triangle, wherein the surgical instrument is not defined by any of the sequential dilators.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.