Patent ID: 8123756

Claim:
A method for performing a vertebroplasty procedure on a patient comprising: percutaneously inserting a distal end of a rigid cannula into a fractured vertebral body of said patient; loading a high pressure applicator with a hardenable bone cement, said applicator comprising a barrel comprising a vessel section and an introduction section, said introduction section having a larger cross sectional area than said vessel section, and further comprising a piston member that is slidable within said vessel to create a driving force and to eject said bone cement from said vessel through an output port; connecting a substantially non-complaint tube to said cannula and said applicator; and actuating said applicator to generate a high pressure force against said bone cement to flow said bone cement through said tube, and through said cannula, and to said vertebral body wherein when said actuating force is removed, said flow is halted such that no oozing or additional unintended flow of bone cement to said target site is effected.