Patent ID: 7749218

Claim:
A method of therapeutically treating a vertebral body having an outer cortical bone region, an inner cancellous bone region, and a basivertebral nerve BVN, comprising the steps of: providing a probe configured to deploy an energy device having an electrode; the probe comprising a longitudinal bore extending from a proximal end of the probe toward a distal end of the probe; the probe comprising a recess in communication with said bore, said recess forming a lateral opening at or near the distal end of the probe; the probe further comprising a pivotable member; the pivotable member having a fixed end pivotably secured to the probe at a distal location within the recess of the probe, and a free end configured to be seated in said recess; wherein the pivotable member comprises an undeployed mode where the free end extends proximally from the fixed end within said recess, and a deployed mode where the free end is configured to pivot about said fixed end and extend outward from said probe; articulating the pivotable member from the undeployed mode to the deployed mode to facilitate delivery of the energy device along a path associated with the free end of the pivotable member into the cancellous bone region of the vertebral body; and applying a sufficiently high frequency voltage to the electrode to heat the BVN.