US 7,320,688 B2 | ||
Methods and instruments for endoscopic interbody surgical techniques | ||
Kevin T. Foley, Germantown, Tenn. (US); John L. White, Bartlett, Tenn. (US); Bradley T. Estes, Memphis, Tenn. (US); Mingyan Liu, Bourg-la-Reine (France); Loic Josse, Palaja (France); and Jeffrey D. Moore, Horn Lake, Miss. (US) | ||
Assigned to Warsaw Orthopedic, Inc., Warsaw, Ind. (US) | ||
Filed on Jun. 05, 2003, as Appl. No. 10/455,678. | ||
Application 10/455678 is a continuation of application No. 09/692932, filed on Oct. 20, 2000, granted, now 6,575,899. | ||
Claims priority of provisional application 60/160550, filed on Oct. 20, 1999. | ||
Prior Publication US 2003/0199871 A1, Oct. 23, 2003 | ||
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer. | ||
Int. Cl. A61B 17/58 (2006.01); A61B 1/00 (2006.01) |
U.S. Cl. 606—99 [600/114] | 28 Claims |
1. A method of restoring disc height between adjacent vertebrae of a patient, the method comprising:
inserting a cannula through tissue of the patient in one of a posterior or postero-lateral approach to create a working channel
to the disc space;
distracting the disc space to a disc space height with a distractor extending through the working channel into the disc space;
inserting an instrument through the working channel, wherein inserting the instrument includes inserting a shim through the
working channel, the shim having a distal blade with a height corresponding to the distracted disc space height;
positioning a distal portion of the instrument adjacent a distal portion of the distractor in the disc space, wherein positioning
the distal portion of the instrument in the disc space includes positioning the blade of the shim adjacent the distractor,
the blade contacting the endplates of the adjacent vertebrae;
removing the distractor from the disc space;
maintaining the distracted disc space height with the blade of the shim; and
performing a procedure in the disc space.
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