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Systems and methods for performing spine surgery

  • US 9,848,922 B2
  • Filed: 10/09/2014
  • Issued: 12/26/2017
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2013
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method for correcting the curvature of a spine of a patient, comprising the steps of:

  • implanting a plurality of bone screws at various locations along a spine, each of the plurality of bone screws having an anchor portion and a rod housing, the anchor portion adapted to provide purchase within bone and the rod housing configured to receive at least a portion of a spinal rod therein;

    digitizing the locations of said plurality of implanted screws using a digitizing pointer comprised of a housing having shutters manually operable between an open position and a closed position, whereby said shutters expose reflective markers attached to said housing in the open position upon squeezing a handle of said housing, and whereby a digitizing pointer sensor detects said locations of said plurality of implanted screws when the shutters are in the open position;

    digitizing a distal end of a spinal rod attached to a rod inserter that enables the spinal rod to advance through an operative corridor;

    seating, with a rod pusher, the spinal rod in at least one of said rod housings;

    wherein at least one of the rod inserter and the rod pusher has an emitting component thereon that can be sensed by a sensor;

    continuously generating a dynamic visual output on a graphic user interface corresponding to the relative locations of the digitized screws and the digitized distal end; and

    advancing the distal end of the spinal rod through the operative corridor toward a first of the implanted screws while receiving the dynamic visual output on the graphic user interface.

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