Deformity Correction Using Neural Integrity Monitoring

A surgical method comprising:

• forming a bone anchor hole at a first location into a vertebral body of a spinal column;
• providing a bone anchor;
• engaging the bone anchor to the vertebral body in the bone anchor hole;
• providing a correction tool;
• coupling the correction tool with the bone anchor;
• providing a nerve monitoring system;
• coupling the nerve monitoring system to the correction tool;
• applying force to the bone anchor with the correction tool to change an orientation of the vertebral body relative to the spinal column while detecting for interference between a neural element and the bone anchor with the nerve monitoring system;
• detecting interference between the neural element and the bone anchor with the nerve monitoring system;
• and
• applying force to at least one of a second location on the vertebral body and a second vertebral body with the correction tool to change the orientation of the spinal column after detecting interference between the neural element and the bone anchor.

A method comprising:

• preparing a bony tissue area of a vertebra for reception of a bone anchor when the vertebra is in a first position;
• electrically coupling a nerve monitoring system to a bone anchor driver;
• engaging the bone anchor with the bone anchor driver to engage the bone anchor to the prepared bony tissue area of the vertebra while providing an electrical signal to the bone anchor through the bone anchor driver;
• detecting a neural element threshold as a function of the electrical signal with the nerve monitoring system while engaging the bone anchor to the bony tissue area;
• engaging the bone anchor with a correction tool;
• electrically coupling the correction tool with the nerve monitoring system;
• moving the correction tool while engaged to the bone anchor to change an orientation of the vertebra to a second position from the first position;
• and
• providing an electrical signal through the correction tool to the bone anchor to detect a neural element threshold as a function of the electrical signal with the nerve monitoring system while changing the orientation of the vertebra.

A method comprising:

• providing a first bone anchor and a second bone anchor;
• engaging the first bone anchor to a first location on a first vertebral body of a spinal column when the first vertebral body is at a first orientation relative to the spinal column and engaging the second bone anchor to a second location on the spinal column;
• interconnecting the first bone anchor with the second bone anchor;
• coupling a correction tool to at least one of the first and second bone anchors;
• and
• monitoring the proximity of the at least one of first and second bone anchors with a nerve monitoring system to detect interference with a neural element while the first vertebral body is moved toward the second orientation.