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

Claim 7:
8. A method comprising:
providing a first left retractor blade being asymmetric about a first left retractor blade longitudinal axis and having a first left retractor blade recess defining, in part, two first left retractor blade lobes on opposite sides of the first left retractor blade longitudinal axis;
providing a first right retractor blade being asymmetric about a first right retractor blade longitudinal axis and having a first right retractor blade recess defining, in part, two first right retractor blade lobes on opposite sides of the first right retractor blade longitudinal forming an incision;
inserting the first left retractor blade into the incision;
inserting the first right retractor blade into the incision; and
after inserting the first left and right retractor blades, retracting tissue with the first left and right retractor blades such that the first left and right retractor blades are positioned proximate a facet capsule.