Patent ID: 8277487

Claim:
A method of percutaneously enlarging a processus spinosus interspace comprising: identifying a location of spinal canal stenosis by radioscopic techniques such as an X-ray and introducing a guide member from a posterolateral side through the dorsal skin of a patient to the location; inserting the guide member in a through-hole in an interspinous process spacer, the interspinous process spacer comprising: a substantially conoid screw region, wherein a distal end of the screw region has a smaller diameter than a proximal end of the screw region, and the screw region is adapted to be screwed into a processus spinosus interspace such that the distal end of the screw region enters the processus spinosus interspace prior to the proximal end of the screw region; a spacer region formed in a longitudinal direction of the interspinous process spacer; and a head region, located at an end of the interspinous process spacer, the interspinous process spacer having a longitudinal center axis; the through-hole, which has openings at opposite ends of the interspinous process spacer, being formed along the longitudinal center axis; a driver hole being formed in the head region coaxially with the longitudinal center axis, the driver hole being adapted to be couple with a tool for rotating the interspinous process spacer about the longitudinal center axis; the interspinous process spacer being adapted to rest between adjacent processus spinosus such that the longitudinal center axis is transverse to a spine of a patient; an outer contour of the interspinous process spacer being generally elliptical; and the interspinous process spacer being generally symmetrical about a plane that passes through a center of the spacer region and is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis; inserting the screw region of the interspinous process spacer by rotating the spacer using the tool; and subsequently passing the screw region through the processus spinosus interspace such that the spacer region is pinched by the process spinosus interspace, thereby enlarging and fixing the processus spinosus interspace.