Patent ID: 8361067

Claim:
A method of therapeutically heating a vertebral body to treat back pain, comprising: identifying a vertebral body for treatment, said vertebral body comprising an outer cortical bone region and an inner cancellous bone region, and a basivertebral nerve extending from the outer cortical bone region to within the inner cancellous bone region; identifying a treatment zone within the inner cancellous bone region of said vertebral body; inserting a cannula having a curved bore through the outer cortical bone region of the vertebral body and into the inner cancellous bone region of the vertebral body; inserting a flexible radiofrequency energy delivery probe having two electrodes within the cannula, wherein the cannula is shaped so as to guide said energy delivery probe towards a midline of the vertebral body; advancing a distal end of said energy delivery probe out of a distal opening of said cannula and into the inner cancellous bone region of the vertebral body; positioning the two electrodes of said energy delivery probe within or proximate the treatment zone, wherein the step of positioning the two electrodes of said energy delivery probe within or proximate the treatment zone comprises positioning a first electrode of the two electrodes on a first side of the vertebral body and positioning a second electrode of the two electrodes on a second side of the vertebral body; and activating the two electrodes to deliver radiofrequency energy within the inner cancellous bone region of the vertebral body sufficient to denervate the basivertebral nerve.