Method of performing spinal surgery

The method of performing surgery on a spinal column, including the steps of:

• a) preparing the surgery site by performing an incision to reveal said spinal column;
• b) providing an elongated spinal rod;
• c) placing a plurality of spinal column appliances in position at spaced locations, each said appliance having interface means associated therewith including a tapered open back recess placeable over said rod and spaced therefrom to provide a part annular space;
• d) inserting tapered locking means into each said part annular space;
• e) activating each locking means to lock each said appliance to said rod;
• and wherein said preparing step includes the step of performing spinous process carpentry on at least one vertebra of said spinal column, to prepare for said placing of said appliance, and wherein said carpentry is performed to prepare said vertebra for attachment of a clamp on the mid-line of said vertebra, said clamp having two relatively moveable clamp halves which may be moved toward one another to attach said clamp on said vertebra, and wherein said clamp has attachment means thereon, said interface means comprising a separate hook body interposed between said attachment means and said tapered locking means.

The method of performing surgery on a spinal column, including the steps of:

• a) preparing the surgery site by performing an incision to reveal said spinal column;
• b) providing an elongated spinal rod;
• c) placing a plurality of spinal column appliances in position at spaced locations, each said appliance having interface means associated therewith including a tapered open back recess placeable over said rod and spaced thereform to provide a part annular space;
• d) inserting tapered means into each said part annular space;
• e) activating each locking means to lock each said appliance to said rod;
• and wherein each said tapered locking means comprises a sleeve with a tapered portion insertable in said tapered recess, a lock nut threadable over a threaded surface of said sleeve, and a surface adjacent said recess against which said nut may bear to cause a frictional interconnection between said sleeve and said rod, and between said sleeve and said recess.

The method of performing surgery on a spinal column including steps of:

• a) placing a smooth-surfaced rod adjacent said spinal column;
• b) placing spinal appliance means on a vertebra of said spinal column, said appliance having a tapered recess placeable over said rod;
• c) sliding a locking means along said rod;
• d) positioning the locking means in a space between said rod and recess;
• e) locking said locking means to fix said appliance means on said rod;
• and wherein said locking means comprises a sleeve with a tapered portion insertable in said tapered recess, a lock nut threadable over a threaded surface of said sleeve, and a surface adjacent said recess against which said nut may bear to cause a frictional interconnection between said sleeve and said rod, and between said sleeve and said recess.

The method of performing surgery on a spinal column including the steps of:

• a) placing a rod adjacent said spinal column;
• b) placing spinal appliance means on a vertebra of said spinal column, said appliance having a tapered recess placeable over said rod;
• c) sliding a locking means along said rod, said locking means comprising a sleeve and a lock nut threadable over said sleeve;
• d) positioning said locking means in a space between said rod and recess;
• and threading said lock nut over said sleeve to activate said locking means to fix said appliance means on said rod.

The method of performing surgery on a spinal column including steps of:

• a) placing a rod adjacent said spinal column;
• b) placing spinal appliance means on a vertebra of said spinal column, said appliance having a tapered recess placeable over said rod;
• c) positioning a sleeve means with a tapered portion along said rod;
• d) inserting the tapered portion in a space between said rod and the tapered recess;
• and
• e) locking said tapered portion to fix said appliance means on said rod with a lock means secured over a surface of said sleeve means, and against a surface adjacent said recess against which said lock means may bear to secure the frictional interconnection between said sleeve means and said rod and between said sleeve means and said recess.