Patent ID: 7914535

Claim:
A method of preparing the spine for a subsequent procedure, comprising the steps of: identifying an access site on the anterior surface of the spine; forming a lumen from the access site into the sacrum, through at least one vertebral body and into at least one intervertebral disc, wherein the intervertebral disc comprises a disc nucleus surrounded by a disc annulus; introducing a cutter apparatus through the lumen and into the intervertebral disc, the cutter comprising an axially elongated rotatable shaft having at least one radially outwardly extendable cutter blade; and rotating the cutter blade to disrupt nucleus material, wherein the cutter further comprises a cutter sheath having a sheath lumen extending between a sheath proximal end and a sheath distal end, wherein the cutter blade is coupled to the shaft, the cutter blade having an extended configuration and a retracted configuration, the extended configuration comprising the cutter blade extending generally transverse to the longitudinal axis away from the rotatable sheath, the retracted configuration comprising the cutter blade extending substantially parallel the longitudinal axis inside the sheath, wherein the cutter blade further comprises an elongate ribbon with a first end and a second end coupled to the shaft wherein the ribbon doubles back on itself to form a closed loop such that a bend is positioned between the first and second end.