Patent ID: 8728162

Claim:
A method for spine surgery, wherein the method comprises: securing an anchor to an anchor inserter instrument; coupling the anchor to a first portion of a guide wire; inserting the anchor and the first portion of the guide wire through a second side of an intervertebral disc of a patient with the anchor inserter instrument; passing the anchor and the first portion of the guide wire through the disc to a first side of the disc opposite the second side of the disc with the anchor inserter instrument; connecting the first portion of the guide wire to the first side of the disc with the anchor so that the guide wire extends through the second side of the disc and outside the patient; removing the anchor inserter instrument, leaving the anchor and the guide wire in place relative to the disc; sliding a cannulated instrument over the guide wire to the disc; and removing material from at least one of the disc and a vertebra adjacent to the disc with the cannulated instrument.