Patent ID: 7850695

Claim:
A method of fusing together adjacent vertebrae of a spinal column comprising: inserting an access device into the body of a patient, the access device having an access path extending between a proximal portion and a distal portion, and positioning the access device such that the distal portion is adjacent at least one vertebra, wherein the access device is configured to move between an unexpanded configuration to an expanded configuration wherein in the expanded configuration a cross-sectional area of the access path at a first location is greater than a cross-sectional area of the access path at a second location, wherein the first location is distal to the second location; inserting an elongated apparatus into the access device, the elongated apparatus having a proximal region configured to be releasably mounted to the access device, a distal region, and an elongate body region extending therebetween, the elongate body region and distal region each having a width such that they cover only a portion of an inner wall of the access device, wherein the distal region is configured to cover a body structure without blocking the access path and without blocking visibility of the at least one vertebra; mounting the proximal region of the elongated apparatus to a wall of the proximal portion of the access device such that the distal region of the elongated apparatus extends distally beyond the access device into an operative site adjacent the vertebra and an outer wall of the elongated apparatus covers a body structure adjacent the vertebra; and with the elongated apparatus mounted inside the access device, then inserting at least a first fusion device through the access device, and inserting the fusion device between first and second vertebrae.