Patent ID: 8403923

Claim:
A method of treating a disc and providing improved pain relief for discogenic and radicular pain, comprising: advancing a hypodermic needle through skin percutaneously, through the annulus fibrosus and into the nucleus pulposus by piercing the skin, the annulus fibrosus and into the nucleus pulposus with the hypodermic needle; inserting a fluid delivery tube into the hypodermic needle up to but not beyond the distal tip of the hypodermic needle; injecting a fibrin sealant into the disc through the hypodermic needle and the fluid delivery tube to reduce at least a portion of the at least one defect, wherein the fibrin sealant injected into the disc comprises calcium ions, fibrinogen and thrombin, wherein at least a portion of the fibrin forms after injection, with the proviso that a corticosteroid is absent from the fibrin sealant injected into the disc and wherein the fibrin sealant provides improved pain relief as compared to fibrin sealant containing a corticosteroid.