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Surgical instrument for moving a vertebra

  • US 7,618,444 B2
  • Filed: 09/13/2004
  • Issued: 11/17/2009
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2002
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A method of treating a spinal location of a patient, comprising:

  • providing an elongate body having a proximal end, a distal end, an outer surface and an inner surface, said elongate body defining a path extending therethrough;

    inserting said distal end of said elongate body into the patient such that the distal end resides proximate the spinal location;

    configuring said elongate body so that the cross-sectional area of said path at a first location is greater than the cross-sectional area of said path at a second location, wherein the first location is distal to the second location, wherein configuring said elongate body causes said outer surface to engage body tissue;

    inserting a first screw into a first vertebra;

    advancing through the path a device having a first portion including a clamp actuatable between open and closed positions, the clamp configured to engage the first screw coupled with the first vertebra and a second portion configured to manipulate a rod coupled to a second vertebra with a second screw, the first and second portions being aligned along a longitudinal axis of the device;

    actuating the clamp to engage the first screw; and

    providing relative axial motion between the first and second portions of the device to move the first vertebra with respect to the second vertebra in a plane generally transverse to the spine of the patient while the cross-sectional area of the path at the first location remains greater than the cross-sectional area of the path at the second location.

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