Patent ID: 8617063

Claim:
A method, comprising: engaging a first end portion of a pedicle screw routing member with a bony structure of a spine of a patient through an access opening within tissue of the patient, wherein a second end portion of the pedicle screw routing member remains exposed outside of the patient after the first end portion is engaged with the bony structure; dilating tissue surrounding the access opening by sequentially inserting each one of a series of dilators into the access opening, wherein inserting each one of said dilators includes passing each one of said dilators over the second end portion of the pedicle screw routing member and translating along the pedicle screw routing member, wherein a particular one of said dilators encompasses an immediately prior inserted one of said dilators, and wherein a last inserted one of said dilators includes a blade body surround selectively coupled to a blade body to jointly define a central passage of the last inserted one of said dilators within which the immediately prior inserted one of said dilators is positioned; anchoring a bone screw of a pedicle screw assembly to the bony structure through the central passage of the last inserted one of said dilators after removing at least a portion said prior inserted ones of said dilators from within the central passage of the last inserted one of said dilators, wherein the bone screw includes a central passage extending therethrough between opposing end portions thereof, and wherein anchoring the bone screw to the bony structure includes inserting the second end portion of the pedicle screw routing member into the passage of the bone screw and sliding the bone screw along the pedicle screw routing member into engagement with the bony structure at the first end portion of the pedicle screw routing member.