Patent ID: 11969162
Assignee: NUVASIVE, INC.
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 0:
1. A method comprising:
providing a first retractor blade being asymmetric about a first retractor blade longitudinal axis and having a first retractor blade recess defining, in part, two first retractor blade lobes on opposite sides of the first retractor blade longitudinal axis; and
providing a second retractor blade being asymmetric about a second retractor blade longitudinal axis and having a second retractor blade recess defining, in part, two second retractor blade lobes on opposite sides of the second retractor blade longitudinal axis;
exposing a surgical site that includes a first facet tissue region and a second facet tissue region;
resting the first retractor blade recess at the first facet tissue region; and
resting the second retractor blade recess at the second facet tissue region.