Patent ID: 7597687

Claim:
A method of treating a disc that is leaking nucleus pulposus through at least one defect in the annulus fibrosus, comprising: injecting a fibrin sealant into the disc to reduce at least a portion of the at least one defect, wherein the fibrin sealant injected into the disc comprises an anesthetic, fibrinogen and an activating compound, wherein at least a portion of the fibrin forms after injection, with the proviso that a corticosteroid is absent from the fibrin sealant injected into the disc, wherein the injecting occurs by inserting an introducer needle having a tip through skin and into the intra-discal space to a position adjacent to the at least one defect, inserting a second needle through the introducer needle up to but not beyond the tip of the introducer needle, and injecting at least one component of the fibrin sealant through the introducer needle, and injecting the other components of the fibrin sealant through the second needle such that the initial contact of the fibrin sealant components occurs at the tip of the second needle, and with the proviso that neither the nucleus pulposus nor the annulus fibrosus has been heated.