Patent ID: 8652209

Claim:
A method for replacing a nucleus pulposus of an intervertebral disk with an implant after a nucleotomy, the nucleotomy providing a nuclear space in the intervertebral disk between a vertebral endplate of an upper vertebra and a vertebral endplate of a lower vertebra, and a boring channel extending through either of the vertebral endplates, the boring channel having a distal end with an opening located adjacent to a vertical axis of the vertebra, the method comprising: inserting the implant comprising a continuous wire through the boring channel and into the nuclear space, wherein, a distal portion of the inserted wire abuts against the vertebral endplate of the vertebra opposite to the boring channel, the wire coils inside the nuclear space to form a stacked outer coil spanning the nuclear space between the endplates, the outer coil having a winding axis that is parallel to the vertical axis of the vertebra, the outer coil being wound in a direction about the winding axis, an outer surface of the outer coil is concentrically located adjacent to a peripheral inner wall of the nuclear space, and the outer coil is in contact with both vertebral endplates; and further inserting the wire through the boring channel and into the nuclear space, so that the wire continues to coil inside the nuclear space to form a stacked first inner coil inside the outer coil the first inner coil being wound in a direction along the winding axis that is opposite from the direction in which the outer coil is wound, wherein, an outer surface of the first inner coil is concentrically located adjacent to an inner surface of the outer coil, the first inner coil is in contact with both vertebral endplates, and the first inner coil defines a central space inside the implant.