Patent ID: 8454612

Claim:
A method of reconstructing and augmenting a vertebral endplate surface, comprising: identifying a vertebral body having an outer surface and a vertebral endplate surface adjacent a damaged tissue; driving first and second anchors into the outer surface of said vertebral body and along and across a cupped cortical rim of said vertebral endplate surface adjacent said damaged tissue; wherein each of said first and second anchors comprises an upper neck and a lower bone engagement portion; positioning the lower bone engagement portion below said vertebral endplate surface adjacent said damaged tissue; recessing the lower bone engagement portion within the outer surface of the vertebral body; inserting augmentation material along said vertebral endplate surface adjacent said damaged tissue; wherein the augmentation material comprises a proximal portion and a distal portion; coupling an attachment site of said upper neck of said first anchor to the proximal portion of the augmentation material; and coupling an attachment site of said upper neck of said second anchor to the distal portion of the augmentation material, thereby reconstructing and augmenting said vertebral endplate.