Patent ID: 9615856
Date: 2017-04-11
CPC Classifications: A61B

Claim:
1. A method for sacroiliac joint fusion, the method comprising: establishing an implant trajectory that passes through the sacroiliac joint; forming a tunnel along the implant trajectory, wherein an iliac portion of the tunnel passes through an iliac bone, wherein a sacral portion of the tunnel passes through a sacral bone; and inserting an elongated body of a fusion device along the implant trajectory so that an iliac portion of the fusion device is positioned in the iliac portion of the tunnel and a sacral portion of the fusion device is positioned in the sacral portion of the tunnel, the fusion device extending longitudinally between a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the fusion device being a trailing side and the distal end being a leading side of the fusion device, the elongated body of the fusion device extending longitudinally to exhibit an elongated cylindrical structure having blunt opposite ends, the elongated cylindrical structure of the fusion device defining a plurality of slots each extending axially along a longitudinal axis of the fusion device such that each of the plurality of slots extend from the proximal end of the fusion device; wherein the fusion device comprises a plurality of anchors extending beyond the tunnel, each of the plurality of anchors including a base portion, an arm portion and a blade portion such that the base portion of each of the plurality of anchors is insertable through and along one of the plurality of slots, the plurality of anchors configured to cut through a wall of the tunnel.