Patent ID: 9649203
Date: 2017-05-16
CPC Classifications: A61F

Claim:
1. A method of promoting spinal fusion within a spine of a patient, comprising: advancing an implant through an anatomy of a patient, the implant comprising at least one internal chamber defined by peripheral walls of the implant, wherein the implant comprises at least one access port extending through at least one of the peripheral walls of the implant; wherein the implant is advanced through an anatomy of a patient using an insertion tool; positioning the implant between a first vertebra and a second vertebra of a patient, the first and second vertebrae being immediately adjacent to one another; directing graft material into the at least one internal chamber of the implant through the at least one access port to fill the at least one internal chamber of the implant, after positioning the implant between the first and second vertebrae, such that the graft material is in flush contact with endplate surfaces of each of the first and second vertebrae, and wherein the graft material is contained within the at least one internal chamber; wherein the at least one internal chamber of the implant, after implantation, extends from or near an endplate of the first vertebra to or near an endplate of the second vertebra such that the graft material directed into the at least one internal chamber can be substantially retained between the first and second vertebrae; and withdrawing the insertion tool from the anatomy of the patient, leaving the implant situated between the first and second vertebrae.