Surgical access system and related methods
DCFirst Claim
1. A method for forming an operating corridor to a lumbar spine of a patient, the patient having an anterior aspect, a posterior aspect and two lateral aspects, the method comprising:
- inserting a plurality of dilators into the patient at an insertion position on one of the two lateral aspects of the patient, the plurality of dilators comprising a first dilator having a first diameter and a second dilator having a second diameter, the first diameter being smaller than the second diameter;
advancing the plurality of dilators along a lateral, trans-psoas path to a lateral aspect of a target intervertebral disc of the lumbar spine, the lateral, trans-psoas path having a path axis that extends from the insertion position on the one of the two lateral aspects to the other of the two lateral aspects of the patient, to create a tissue distraction corridor along the lateral, trans-psoas path through a region of a psoas muscle containing nerves to the target intervertebral disc, the tissue distraction corridor negotiating past the nerves of the psoas muscle;
electrically stimulating, using a stimulation electrode along a distal region of a dilator of the plurality of dilators, the nerves of the psoas muscle for monitoring a nerve response, and advancing the dilator along the lateral, trans-psoas path, based on the monitoring, to avoid directly contacting the nerves of the psoas muscle;
moving a plurality of retractor blades along the lateral, trans-psoas path to form an operative corridor along the lateral, trans-psoas path; and
adjusting the plurality of retractor blades from a first configuration comprising the plurality of retractor blades in a first position to a second configuration comprising the plurality of retractor blades in a second position in which the plurality of retractor blades are spaced further apart from one another to form the operative corridor along the lateral, trans-psoas path, the operative corridor negotiating past the nerves of the psoas muscle without damaging the nerves and being dimensioned to pass an implant therethrough along the lateral, trans-psoas path toward the target intervertebral disc of the lumbar spine.
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Abstract
A system for accessing a surgical target site and related methods, involving an initial distraction system for creating an initial distraction corridor, and an assembly capable of distracting from the initial distraction corridor to a secondary distraction corridor and thereafter sequentially receiving a plurality of retractor blades for retracting from the secondary distraction corridor to thereby create an operative corridor to the surgical target site, both of which may be equipped with one or more electrodes for use in detecting the existence of (and optionally the distance and/or direction to) neural structures before, during, and after the establishment of an operative corridor to a surgical target site.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method for forming an operating corridor to a lumbar spine of a patient, the patient having an anterior aspect, a posterior aspect and two lateral aspects, the method comprising:
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inserting a plurality of dilators into the patient at an insertion position on one of the two lateral aspects of the patient, the plurality of dilators comprising a first dilator having a first diameter and a second dilator having a second diameter, the first diameter being smaller than the second diameter; advancing the plurality of dilators along a lateral, trans-psoas path to a lateral aspect of a target intervertebral disc of the lumbar spine, the lateral, trans-psoas path having a path axis that extends from the insertion position on the one of the two lateral aspects to the other of the two lateral aspects of the patient, to create a tissue distraction corridor along the lateral, trans-psoas path through a region of a psoas muscle containing nerves to the target intervertebral disc, the tissue distraction corridor negotiating past the nerves of the psoas muscle; electrically stimulating, using a stimulation electrode along a distal region of a dilator of the plurality of dilators, the nerves of the psoas muscle for monitoring a nerve response, and advancing the dilator along the lateral, trans-psoas path, based on the monitoring, to avoid directly contacting the nerves of the psoas muscle; moving a plurality of retractor blades along the lateral, trans-psoas path to form an operative corridor along the lateral, trans-psoas path; and adjusting the plurality of retractor blades from a first configuration comprising the plurality of retractor blades in a first position to a second configuration comprising the plurality of retractor blades in a second position in which the plurality of retractor blades are spaced further apart from one another to form the operative corridor along the lateral, trans-psoas path, the operative corridor negotiating past the nerves of the psoas muscle without damaging the nerves and being dimensioned to pass an implant therethrough along the lateral, trans-psoas path toward the target intervertebral disc of the lumbar spine. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for forming an operating corridor to a lumbar spine of a patient, the method comprising:
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inserting a plurality of dilators into the patient at an insertion position on one of two anatomically lateral aspects of the patient, the plurality of dilators comprising a first dilator having a first diameter and a second dilator having a second diameter, the first diameter being smaller than the second diameter; advancing the plurality of dilators along a lateral, trans-psoas path from the insertion position on the one of two anatomically lateral aspects of the patient to a lateral aspect of a target intervertebral disc of the lumbar spine, the trajectory of the lateral, trans-psoas path exiting the patient at the other of the two anatomically lateral aspects of the patient, to create a tissue distraction corridor to the target intervertebral disc along the lateral, trans-psoas path, the lateral, trans-psoas path extending through a region of a psoas muscle containing nerves and negotiating past the nerves; electrically stimulating, using a stimulation electrode along a distal region of the first dilator or the second dilator, the nerves of the psoas muscle for monitoring a nerve response and advancing the first dilator or the second dilator, based on the monitoring, along the lateral, trans-psoas path to avoid impairment of the nerves of the psoas muscle; and moving a plurality of retractor blades over at least one of the plurality of dilators along the lateral, trans-psoas path to form an operative corridor along the lateral, trans-psoas path, the operative corridor being dimensioned to pass an implant therethrough along the lateral, trans-psoas path toward the target intervertebral disc of the lumbar spine. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification