Patent ID: 9717539
Date: 2017-08-01
CPC Classifications: A61B,A61F

Claim:
1. A method of fusing a sacroiliac joint, the method comprising: a) providing a joint implant comprising: i) a body extending between an implant proximal end and an implant distal end; and ii) a graft window extending non-parallel through the body and extending proximally from the implant distal end to define at least a portion of an opened distal end; b) providing a delivery tool comprising: i) an implant arm extending between a proximal implant arm end and a distal implant arm end, the distal implant arm end releasably coupled to the implant proximal end of the joint implant; ii) an anchor am extending between a proximal anchor arm end and a distal anchor arm end, the distal anchor arm end releasably coupled to a proximal end of an anchor element; and iii) a positioning arm coupling the implant arm and the anchor arm such that when coupled a delivery arrangement automatically exists such that the anchor element and the joint implant align in a trajectory such that the anchor element will be received within the graft window upon convergence of the anchor element and the joint implant, the implant arm being configured to rotate relative to the positioning arm about a longitudinal axis of the implant arm within a fixed range of rotation; c) delivering the anchor element transversely through the sacroiliac joint; and d) subsequent to step c), delivering the joint implant non-transversely into the sacroiliac joint such that the anchor element is positioned within the graft window of the joint implant, the joint implant in an orientation within the sacroiliac joint such that the body and the graft window are a generally within a plane defined by the sacroiliac joint.