US 6,981,981 B2
Inflatable device for use in surgical protocol relating to fixation of bone
Mark A. Reiley, Piedmont, Calif. (US); Arie Scholten, Fremont, Calif. (US); and Karen Talmadge, Palo Alto, Calif. (US)
Assigned to Kyphon Inc., Sunnyvale, Calif. (US)
Filed on Dec. 29, 2003, as Appl. No. 10/747,547.
Application 10/747547 is a division of application No. 10/411573, filed on Apr. 10, 2003.
Application 10/411573 is a division of application No. 10/200674, filed on Jul. 22, 2002, granted, now 6,663,647.
Application 10/200674 is a division of application No. 09/059796, filed on Apr. 13, 1998, granted, now 6,423,083.
Application 09/059796 is a division of application No. 08/788786, filed on Jan. 23, 1997, granted, now 6,235,043.
Application 08/788786 is a continuation of application No. 08/188224, filed on Jan. 26, 1994, abandoned.
Prior Publication US 2004/0153114 A1, Aug. 05, 2004
Int. Cl. A61M 29/00 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 606—192 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising
selecting a vertebral body for treatment having a cortical wall enclosing a cancellous bone volume,
providing a void creation device including an expandable structure having an expanded configuration and an unexpanded configuration, the expandable structure having at least one dimension so that changing the expandable structure from the unexpanded configuration to the expanded configuration while disposed within the cancellous bone volume compacts only a first region of the cancellous bone volume substantially without compacting a second region of the cancellous bone volume different from the first cancellous bone volume,
introducing the void creation device into the vertebral body through a percutaneous access path,
changing the expandable structure while disposed within the cancellous bone volume from the unexpanded configuration to the expanded configuration to compact only a first region of the cancellous bone volume substantially without compacting a second region of the cancellous bone volume different from the first cancellous bone volume, and
placing a volume of filling material within the first region through the percutaneous access path.