Patent ID: 7918890

Claim:
A method of placing a disc prosthesis comprising two solid compressible cylinders between adjacent spinal vertebrae comprising the steps of: (a) forming an enlarged partially circular space from the back and to one side of the space between adjacent vertebrae previously occupied by a degenerated disc; (b) forming additional spaces within the interiors of the adjacent vertebrae that intersect the enlarged space between the vertebrae; (c) placing a solid compressible cylinder in the spaces within the interiors of the adjacent vertebrae by compressing the solid compressible cylinder using a thumbscrew apparatus that compresses and pushes the compressed cylinder from the thumbscrew apparatus into the spaces within the interiors of the adjacent vertebrae wherein the compressed cylinder expands to its original shape; and (d) repeating steps (a), (b) and (c) from the back and at the other side of the space between adjacent vertebrae.