Patent ID: 8460296

Claim:
A vertebral endplate treatment instrument, comprising: a handle assembly; an actuating assembly extending distally from said handle assembly along a longitudinal axis; a treatment system at a distal end of said actuating assembly, said treatment system including at least one treatment member movable with said actuating assembly from an undeployed position to a deployed position, wherein said at least one treatment member includes a plurality of treatment portions adapted to at least partially penetrate a vertebral endplate in said deployed position, wherein said at least one treatment member further includes a body portion extending along a longitudinal axis between a proximal end and a distal end and said plurality of treatment portions extend along one side of said body portion between said proximal end and said distal end, wherein said body portion includes: a distal passage oriented obliquely to said longitudinal axis of said body portion and a proximal passage oriented obliquely to said longitudinal axis of said body portion so that said distal passage includes a distal end offset from said longitudinal axis toward said plurality of treatment portions and a proximal end offset from said longitudinal axis toward a side of said body opposite said treatment portions and said that said proximal passage includes a distal end offset from said longitudinal axis toward said plurality of treatment portions and a proximal end offset from said longitudinal axis toward a side of said body opposite said treatment portions; and a slot through said body portion that is orthogonally oriented to said longitudinal axis of said body portion and located proximally of said proximal passage; wherein said actuating assembly includes guide members extending through respective ones of said proximal and distal passages and a linkage member extending through said slot, said guide members and said linkage member couple said at least one treatment member to said actuating system and act upon said at least one treatment member with actuation of said actuating system to move said at least one treatment member between said undeployed and deployed positions.