Patent ID: 7575577

Claim:
A kit of parts for sealably introducing fluent material directly into the disc space having a height between opposed vertebrae through an opening extending through the annulus fibrosis of said disc for replacing nucleus pulposus, comprising: a tube having a passageway for the flow of fluent material therethrough and an extent adapted to be received in the opening of said annulus fibrosis, said tube having a seal adapted to engage said annulus fibrosis adjacent said opening and to form a fluid-tight seal therewith, wherein said tube extent is defined by a distal tip of said tube, said distal tip having a dimension greater than the height of said disc space that is sized and configured to provide distraction of opposed vertebrae communicating with said disc space; and a quantity of curable fluent material adapted to be introduced in a fluid state into said disc space through the passageway of said tube, said material upon curing having properties substitutive of the nucleus pulposus.