Patent ID: 8753271

Claim:
A system for forming a trans-psoas operative corridor to a lumbar spine, comprising: a multi-bladed psoas retractor tool to create an operative corridor along a lateral, trans-psoas path through bodily tissue toward a targeted intervertebral disc of a lumbar spine, the multi-bladed psoas retractor tool including: a plurality of retractor blades that each have an outwardly facing convex surface region configured to engage the psoas muscle and that each have an inwardly facing concave surface region configured to engage a cylindrical exterior surface region of a trans-psoas dilator, the plurality of retractor blades including a caudal-most retractor blade when the multi-bladed psoas retractor tool creates the operative corridor along the lateral, trans-psoas path, and the plurality of retractor blades including a cephalad-most retractor blade when the multi-bladed psoas retractor tool creates the operative corridor along the lateral, trans-psoas path; and a blade holder assembly comprising adjustable arm portions, wherein the plurality of retractor blades extend generally perpendicularly relative to the arm portions of the blade holder assembly, wherein a first pivotable arm portion of the adjustable arm portions is configured to pivotably adjust the cephalad-most retractor blade relative to the caudal-most refractor blade, wherein the multi-bladed psoas retractor tool is adjustable from a first position in which the plurality of retractor blades are positioned to simultaneously advance along the lateral, trans-psoas path to a second position in which the caudal-most refractor blade and the cephalad-most retractor blade are spaced further apart from one another, the blade holder assembly comprising a rotatable actuator that causes independent linear movement of a position of one retractor blade of the plurality of retractor blades relative to another retractor blade of the plurality of retractor blades in response to rotation of the rotatable actuator, wherein when at least the caudal-most retractor blade and the cephalad-most retractor blade of the multi-bladed psoas retractor tool maintain the operative corridor along the lateral, trans-psoas path through the bodily tissue toward the targeted intervertebral disc of the lumbar spine, the operative corridor is dimensioned so as to pass an implant through the operative corridor along the lateral, trans-psoas path toward the targeted intervertebral disc of the lumbar spine.