Patent ID: 7901439

Claim:
A method for fusing a spinal facet joint without distracting the facet joint, comprising the steps of: a) locating the facet joint with a facet finder, wherein said facet finder does not distract the facet joint; b) sliding a drill guide over said facet finder until a distal end of said drill guide engages the facet joint; c) removing said facet finder from within said drill guide; d) inserting a drill through said drill guide and drilling a socket within the facet joint to a predetermined depth; e) removing said drill from within said drill guide; f) securing an unthreaded proximal end of a surgical implant within an unthreaded distal end of an implant inserter, wherein said implant is an unthreaded, cylindrical-shaped allograft implant having a distal end, a plurality of anti-migration fins formed along the length of said implant to secure said implant within the socket, and a reduced diameter proximal end, and wherein said distal end of said implant inserter is operable to receive said reduced diameter proximal end of said implant within said distal end of said implant inserter and thereby reversibly secure said implant to said implant inserter such that the entire circumference of said implant is visible to a surgeon to facilitate insertion of said implant into the socket; g) inserting said implant inserter through said drill guide until said distal end of said implant engages the socket; h) tapping a proximal end of said implant inserter to push said implant into the socket; i) removing said implant inserter from within said drill guide; and j) removing said drill guide from the facet joint.