Method of interdigitating flowable material with bone tissue

A method of treating a vertebral body having a superior endplate, an inferior endplate and native cancellous bone tissue therebetween, the method comprising:

• inserting a generally elongated member into the native cancellous bone tissue of such vertebral body;
• changing the configuration of the elongated member within the native cancellous bone tissue to form a generally cylindrical structure extending around an axis that intersects the superior and inferior endplates, the generally cylindrical structure at least partially surrounding a portion of the native cancellous bone tissue;
• and
• introducing bone cement into the portion of the native cancellous bone tissue surrounded by the generally cylindrical structure to interdigitate the bone cement with the portion of native cancellous bone tissue.

A method of treating spinal bone tissue, comprising:

• advancing an elongated member into native cancellous bone tissue of a vertebral body, the elongated member having at least one fluid passageway;
• forming the elongated member into a curved configuration as the elongated member is advanced into the native cancellous bone tissue, the curved configuration defining a structure within the vertebral body that at least partially surrounds a portion of the native cancellous bone tissue;
• and
• flowing bone cement through the at least one fluid passageway of the elongated member into the portion of the native cancellous bone tissue surrounded by the structure.

A method of treating a vertebral body, having outer cortical bone, inner native cancellous bone, a superior endplate and an inferior endplate, the method comprising:

• inserting a barrier having a first configuration for insertion into a vertebral body that contains native cancellous bone tissue;
• changing the configuration of the barrier so as to form within the vertebral body a second configuration that surrounds a generally inner region of native cancellous bone tissue, the second configuration substantially prevents the flow of bone cement from the generally inner region of native cancellous bone in one or more selected outward directions toward the cortical bone;
• injecting flowable bone cement into the generally inner region of native cancellous bone tissue so as to cause interdigitation of bone cement and native cancellous bone tissue;
• and
• the barrier substantially preventing the flow of the bone cement in the selected directions within the vertebral body.