Patent ID: 8409257

Claim:
A method for stabilizing a facet joint of the spinal column, comprising: inserting a distal end of a guide instrument between adjacent bones forming the facet joint; providing a cannula including an elongate body extending between a proximal end and a distal end; distally advancing said cannula over said guide instrument; inserting a reamer through said cannula and removing at least a portion of each of the adjacent bones to form a cavity for receiving an implant formed of cancellous bone in the facet joint between the adjacent bones, said implant extending between a proximal end and a distal end and including a support body and a reduced diameter instrument engagement portion extending proximally from a proximally facing end wall of said support body; engaging said implant with an insertion instrument and inserting said implant through said cannula into said cavity; boring a hole extending transversely to said cavity through a first one of the adjacent bones and at least partially into a second one of the adjacent bones; and positioning a bone anchor in said hole and engaging said bone anchor with said first and second ones of the adjacent bones by forcing said first and second ones of the adjacent bones toward one another and clamping said implant between the adjacent bones by fracturing said implant into a plurality of fragments.