Patent ID: 7618444
Filing Date: 2009-11-17
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. A method of treating a spinal location of a patient, comprising: providing an elongate body having a proximal end, a distal end, an outer surface and an inner surface, said elongate body defining a path extending therethrough; inserting said distal end of said elongate body into the patient such that the distal end resides proximate the spinal location; configuring said elongate body so that the cross-sectional area of said path at a first location is greater than the cross-sectional area of said path at a second location, wherein the first location is distal to the second location, wherein configuring said elongate body causes said outer surface to engage body tissue; inserting a first screw into a first vertebra; advancing through the path a device having a first portion including a clamp actuatable between open and closed positions, the clamp configured to engage the first screw coupled with the first vertebra and a second portion configured to manipulate a rod coupled to a second vertebra with a second screw, the first and second portions being aligned along a longitudinal axis of the device; actuating the clamp to engage the first screw; and providing relative axial motion between the first and second portions of the device to move the first vertebra with respect to the second vertebra in a plane generally transverse to the spine of the patient while the cross-sectional area of the path at the first location remains greater than the cross-sectional area of the path at the second location.