Patent ID: 7632294

Claim:
A method of reinforcing a spinal annulus, the method comprising the steps of: creating an access opening in the annulus to be reinforced; providing a catheter through the access opening; introducing a wire or ribbon through the catheter, or deploying a balloon on the tip of the catheter, to create at least one of a pocket, a cavity, and a delamination within the annulus, wherein said at least one of a pocket, a cavity, and a delamination extends substantially circumferentially and solely within two or more layers of the annulus between the innermost annular surface adjacent to the nucleus, and the outermost annular surface; extending the pocket, cavity or delamination to at least partially circumnavigate the annulus; removing the wire, ribbon or balloon; introducing, through the same or another catheter, an injector for delivering a tissue adhesive composition that is reactive with functional groups normally found on tissue surfaces so as to bond to tissue; injecting a controlled amount of said tissue adhesive; gradually withdrawing the injector while filling the pocket, cavity or delamination with said tissue adhesive to bind the two or more layers of the annulus with the tissue adhesive; and allowing the tissue adhesive to cure to form a hydrophilic implant adherent to at least one tissue surface in the region of the circumferentially-extending pocket, cavity or delamination, thereby repairing at least a part of the defect; wherein the tissue adhesive composition comprises branched polyether polyols with polyisocyanate caps, and wherein the polyether polyol comprises a copolymer of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide containing at least about 70% ethylene oxide.