Patent ID: 8163022

Claim:
A system for at least partially closing an aperture in an annulus fibrosus of an intervertebral disc of a patient, the system comprising: a first fixation delivery apparatus having a tubular shaft, and a proximal handle a first fixation apparatus releasably coupled to the first fixation delivery apparatus including a bone anchor configured to be deployed at least partially into and attached to a vertebral body, and an adjustable flexible connecting element connected to the bone anchor, wherein at least a portion of the bone anchor and a portion of the adjustable connecting element are disposed within the tubular shaft of the first fixation delivery apparatus prior to deployment of the first fixation apparatus, and wherein the flexible connecting element can be manipulated by a user to adjust a length of thereof; a second fixation delivery apparatus including a tubular shaft having a sharpened tissue-piercing distal tip, a proximal handle coupled to the tubular shaft, a releasable tab coupled to the handle, an ejection rod slidably disposed within the tubular shaft, and an actuator slidably coupled to the handle and operatively coupled to the ejection rod; and a second fixation apparatus releasably coupled to the second fixation delivery apparatus including a pair of tissue anchors and an adjustable flexible connecting element connecting the tissue anchors, wherein the tissue anchors and a first portion of the flexible connecting element are disposed within the tubular shaft and a second portion of the flexible connecting element is coupled to the releasable tab of the second fixation delivery apparatus prior to deployment, wherein the bone anchor is configured to be attached to the vertebral body, the tissue anchors are configured to be attached to the annulus fibrosus with the aperture located between the bone anchor and the tissue anchors, and the flexible connecting elements of the first fixation apparatus and the second fixation apparatus are configured to be interconnected and placed in tension to at least partially close the aperture in the annulus fibrosus.