Ipsilateral approach to minimally invasive ligament decompression procedure
DCFirst Claim
1. A method for treating stenosis in a spine of a patient having a median plane, the spine including a spinal canal having a posterior surface, a dural sac and an epidural space between the posterior surface and dural sac, the location of the stenosis determining a region of interest in the spine, comprising the steps of:
- a) generating at least one view of a portion of the spinal canal in the region of interest;
b) compressing the dural sac in the region of interest by injecting a fluid to form a safety zone and establish a working zone in the region of interest, the safety zone lying generally between the working zone and the dural sac;
c) percutaneously accessing the region of interest on a first lateral side of the median plane via a tool trajectory that passes generally between a lamina of a superior first vertebra and a lamina of an inferior second vertebra and generally between the two superior articular processes of the inferior second vertebra, wherein the first and second vertebra are adjacent;
d) inserting a tissue removal tool into tissue in the working zone on the first lateral side of the median plane via the tool trajectory;
e) using the tissue removal tool to percutaneously reduce the stenosis on the first lateral side of the median plane; and
f) utilizing the at least one view to position the tissue removal tool during at least a part of step d) and at least part of step e).
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Abstract
A method for treating spinal stenosis is disclosed. The method can include generating a view of a portion of the spinal canal and compressing the dural sac by injecting a fluid to form a safety zone and establish a working zone, wherein the safety zone can be between the working zone and the dural sac. The method can also include percutaneously accessing the epidural space on a first side of the median plane, inserting a tissue removal tool into tissue in the working zone on the first side of the median plane, and using the tissue removal tool to percutaneously reduce a stenosis on the first side of the median plane.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method for treating stenosis in a spine of a patient having a median plane, the spine including a spinal canal having a posterior surface, a dural sac and an epidural space between the posterior surface and dural sac, the location of the stenosis determining a region of interest in the spine, comprising the steps of:
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a) generating at least one view of a portion of the spinal canal in the region of interest; b) compressing the dural sac in the region of interest by injecting a fluid to form a safety zone and establish a working zone in the region of interest, the safety zone lying generally between the working zone and the dural sac; c) percutaneously accessing the region of interest on a first lateral side of the median plane via a tool trajectory that passes generally between a lamina of a superior first vertebra and a lamina of an inferior second vertebra and generally between the two superior articular processes of the inferior second vertebra, wherein the first and second vertebra are adjacent; d) inserting a tissue removal tool into tissue in the working zone on the first lateral side of the median plane via the tool trajectory; e) using the tissue removal tool to percutaneously reduce the stenosis on the first lateral side of the median plane; and f) utilizing the at least one view to position the tissue removal tool during at least a part of step d) and at least part of step e). - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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9. A method of accessing a spinal location of a patient wherein the patient has a posterior back surface and wherein the method comprises:
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a) positioning an instrument against the posterior back surface, wherein the instrument is positioned for insertion in a generally superior direction and is positioned at an initial angle relative to a generally longitudinal axis of the patient'"'"'s spine, wherein the initial angle is less than about 20 degrees; b) inserting the instrument into the posterior back surface of the patient generally toward a region of interest, wherein the region of interest includes a working zone; c) advancing the instrument towards the region of interest along an ipsilateral trajectory that passes generally between a lamina of a superior first vertebra and a lamina of an inferior second vertebra and generally between the two superior articular processes of the inferior second vertebra, wherein the first and second vertebra are adjacent; d) inserting the instrument into the working zone; and e) removing tissue from the working zone. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 19)
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Specification