Method of retracting soft tissue from a bone
AssigneeGeneral Surgical Innovations, Inc.
InventorPeter Mark Bonutti
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fluid operated retractor for use in surgery. The retractor has a portion that is expandable upon the introduction of fluid under pressure. The expandable portion is made of a material strong enough, and is inflated to enough pressure, to spread adjoining tissues within the body. The retractor is especially useful in fiber optic surgery because it can be inserted percutaneously through a small opening then expanded to a much larger dimension when in the desired location, to retract tissue from within. The retractor may be used to spread a joint such as a knee joint or a shoulder joint, or may be used to separate tissue planes generally, to improve visualization and create a working space for the surgeon.
Claims15
A method of retracting soft tissue from a bone to create an operating space between the soft tissue and bone, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a retractor comprising a relatively rigid member and an inflatable bladder mounted on the relatively rigid member, the inflatable bladder being formed of a substantially inelastic material having sufficient strength to withstand inflation pressures sufficient to enable the bladder to retract the soft tissue from the bone;
- making an incision in a body proximate a location of the bone and soft tissue, the incision providing access to the bone and soft tissue;
- introducing the relatively rigid member and deflated bladder into the incision and directing the deflated bladder with the relatively rigid member to the location of the soft tissue and bone;
- positioning the deflated bladder between the bone and soft tissue;
- inflating the bladder to retract the bone from the soft tissue to create the operating space;
- and
- inserting a surgical instrument, other than said retractor, into the operating space external to the bladder and prior to removing said retractor.
A method of retracting soft tissue from a bone to create an operating space between the soft tissue and bone, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a retractor comprising a relatively rigid member and an inflatable bladder mounted on the relatively rigid member, the inflatable bladder being formed of a substantially inelastic material having sufficient strength to withstand inflation pressures sufficient to enable the bladder to retract the soft tissue from the bone;
- making an incision in a body proximate a location of the bone and soft tissue, the incision providing access to the bone and soft tissue;
- introducing the relatively rigid member and deflated bladder into the incision;
- advancing the relatively rigid member to position the deflated bladder between the bone and soft tissue;
- inflating the bladder to retract the bone from the soft tissue to create the operating space;
- inserting a surgical instrument, other than said retractor, into the operating space;
- and
- performing a surgical procedure in the operating space.
A method of retracting soft tissue from a bone to create an operating space between the soft tissue and bone, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a retractor comprising a relatively rigid member and an inflatable bladder mounted on the relatively rigid member, the inflatable bladder being formed of a substantially inelastic material having sufficient strength to withstand inflation pressures sufficient to enable the bladder to retract the soft tissue from the bone;
- making an incision in a body proximate a location of the bone and soft tissue, the incision providing access to the bone and soft tissue;
- introducing the relatively rigid member and deflated bladder into the incision;
- directing the relatively rigid member to the location of the soft tissue and bone to position the deflated bladder between the bone and soft tissue;
- inflating the bladder to retract the bone from the soft tissue to create the operating space;
- and
- inserting a surgical instrument into the operating space prior to removing the retractor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.