Methods for repairing damaged intervertebral discs

A method of treating an inter-vertebral disc, comprising:

• providing an electrosurgical system including a probe and a power supply unit, wherein the probe includes a shaft and a handle, the shaft including a distal end portion, at least one active electrode, and at least one return electrode, the at least one active electrode located on the distal end portion of the shaft, the distal end portion of the shaft having a pre-defined bias in the longitudinal direction thereof;
• inserting the distal end portion of the shaft within the disc;
• and
• ablating at least a portion of nucleus pulposus tissue from the disc, wherein at least one channel is formed within the nucleus pulposus.

A method of treating an inter-vertebral disc with an electrosurgical system, the electrosurgical system including a probe having a shaft, the shaft including a shaft distal end portion, an active electrode disposed on the shaft distal end portion, and a return electrode disposed proximal to the active electrode, the method comprising:

• a) contacting a nucleus pulposus of the disc with the active electrode;
• b) applying a high frequency voltage between the active electrode and the return electrode, wherein the high frequency voltage is sufficient to ablate disc tissue;
• and
• c) during the applying step, translating the shaft distal end portion within the nucleus pulposus, wherein tissue of the nucleus pulposus is ablated and the volume of the nucleus pulposus is decreased.