Patent ID: 8128698

Claim:
A method of intervertebral disc repair for treating a disc having a defect in the wall of the disc's annulus fibrosus, the method comprising: providing a bone anchor having a shortenable elongate member attached thereto; inserting the bone anchor into a vertebra that is contiguous to a disc having a defect in the wall of the disc's annulus fibrosus; disposing a portion of the elongate member proximate to the defect in the wall of the annulus fibrosus; providing a fixation device having a first member, a second member, and a connecting element therebetween; placing the first member of the fixation device into, or through, the wall of the annulus fibrosus on a first side of the portion of the elongate member; placing the second member of the fixation device into, or through, the wall of the annulus fibrosus on a second side of the portion of the elongate member so that the connecting element between the first member and the second member extends across the portion of the elongate member; after the second member is placed, shortening a length of the connecting element between the first member and second member; and shortening the elongate member to an extent sufficient to cause the connecting element between the first member and the second member to be drawn in tension to pull, wholly or partially, annulus fibrosus tissue toward the bone anchor in the vertebra.