Patent ID: 8048160

Claim:
A method of closing and reapproximating a defect in the posterior side of an annulus fibrosus of an intervertebral disc, comprising: inserting a barrier through an opening in the posterior side of an annulus and into a disc; positioning said barrier across said defect before closing and reapproximating the defect, wherein said barrier obstructs passage of material from the interior of said disc into said defect; passing a first fixation suture portion through said annulus on a first side of the defect and passing a second fixation suture portion through said annulus on a second side of the defect, wherein the first and second suture portions are attached to the barrier; and drawing the first and second fixation suture portions together and joining the first and second suture portions across the defect and on a side of the annulus opposite the barrier to close and reapproximate the defect and thereby securing said barrier in two different locations to said annulus at a position across the defect.