Patent ID: 11877936
Assignee: nan
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 0:
1. A method for preparing a facet joint at a vertebral level for fusion, comprising:
introducing an elongated anchor element to a vertebral body adjacent the facet joint;
providing a facet fusion tube assembly including a hollow elongated tube having a proximal end and a distal end and a resilient clip fastened to an outer surface of the elongated tube;
extending an inner rod through the elongated tube with a tip of the inner rod extending beyond the distal end of the tube;
introducing the elongated tube and the inner rod into the vertebral level laterally adjacent the anchor element with the tip of the inner rod extending beyond the distal end of the tube until the tip of the inner rod is in immediate proximity to or in contact with a portion of the facet joint;
clamping the elongated tube to the anchor element using the resilient clip;
removing the inner rod from the elongated tube with the elongated tube clamped to the anchor element; and
introducing a tool or instrument into the hollow elongated tube to perform an operation on the facet joint,
wherein the elongated tube is clamped to the anchor element as the elongated tube is introduced into the vertebral level.