Patent ID: 7727262

Claim:
A method of treating a patient, comprising the steps of: gaining access to at least a portion of a spinal column of the patient; securing a first rod at a first site in the patient, the first rod extending between a first vertebra and a second vertebra; securing a second rod at a second site in the patient, the second rod extending between the first vertebra and the second vertebra; introducing a curable media in between the first and second rods to form a cross link, the first rod, second rod, and cross link forming an orthopedic fixation structure for supporting at least the first and second vertebrae; heating at least a portion of the media to a temperature of at least about 50 degrees C. to accelerate curing of the media thereby linking the first rod to the second rod; and closing the access to the spinal column and maintaining the orthopedic fixation structure within the patient.