Patent ID: 7294132

Claim:
A method of delivering bone graft paste material to a bone defect area in a patient's body through a minimally invasive portal, comprising: providing an instrument assembly for delivering the bone graft material to the bone defect area, said instrument assembly comprising: a bone graft needle for delivery of bone graft material to the bone defect area, said needle comprising an elongate tubular delivery member having a lumen between a proximal end and a distal end, said elongate tubular delivery member having a plurality of parts communicating with said lumen, said ports circumferentially positioned in a substantially circular band adjacent to said distal end, and an elongate penetrating member for receipt within said bone graft needle, inserting said elongate penetrating member into said lumen of said bone graft needle until a distal end of said elongate penetrating member extends from said distal end of said bone graft needle, inserting said instrument assembly through the minimally invasive portal until said open distal end of said bone graft needle operatively reaches the bone defect area, while maintaining said proximal end of said bone graft needle external of the patient's body, removing said elongate penetrating member from said bone graft needle while retaining said distal end of said bone graft needle at the bone defect area, forming a paste of bone graft material, said bone graft material comprising calcium sulfate, and using a syringe to inject said paste of bone graft material through said plurality of ports and said distal end of said bone graft needle to thereby deliver said bone graft material to the bone defect area.