Treatment of the vertebral column

A method of treating a vertebral column comprising:

• gaining surgical access to a disc space of a vertebral column including introducing a sheath to provide an access path to the disc space;
• resecting at least a portion of the disc space of the vertebral column by introducing a tissue removal device through the sheath to the disc space and moving at least an end portion of the tissue removal device through a removal path to remove the portion of the disc space;
• removing the tissue removal device from the sheath;
• introducing a non-load bearing biological treatment into the resected portion of the disc space of the vertebral column by introducing the non-load bearing biological treatment through a treatment delivery device extending through the sheath and into the disc space and moving at least an end portion of the delivery device through a delivery path while the non-loading bearing biological treatment is emitted from the end portion of the delivery device;
• removing the delivery device and the sheath;
• gaining surgical access to an undamaged, load bearing spinous process region of the vertebral column spaced from the disc space;
• and
• mechanically unloading the disc space of the vertebral column by applying a load bearing spinal device to at least the spinous process region of the vertebral column.