Patent ID: 7674265

Claim:
A vertebral endplate treatment instrument, comprising: a handle assembly; an actuating assembly extending distally from said handle assembly along a longitudinal axis, said actuating assembly including a distal mounting portion; a treatment system at a distal end of said actuating assembly, said treatment system including at least one treatment member mounted in said mounting portion and movable in parallel relation away from said longitudinal axis from an undeployed position to a deployed position by displacing said actuating assembly along said longitudinal axis, wherein said at least one treatment member includes a plurality of treatment portions adapted to at least partially penetrate a vertebral endplate in said deployed position and in said undeployed position said at least one treatment member is substantially enclosed in said mounting portion to reduce contact by said plurality of treatment portions with tissue and wherein said at least one treatment member moves parallel to the longitudinal axis between the undeployed and deployed positions, wherein said actuating assembly includes: a mounting member including said distal mounting portion to which said at least one treatment member is movably mounted; an actuating member movable relative to said mounting member from a first position wherein said at least one treatment member is in said undeployed position to a second position wherein said at least one treatment member is in said deployed position, said actuating member including a shaft and a coupling assembly at a distal end of said shaft in said mounting portion, said coupling assembly including a linkage member; said mounting member includes a shaft defining a passage for receiving said actuating member, said mounting portion including: a first flange member and a second flange member spaced from said first flange member, said at least one treatment member being positioned between said first and second flange members; a distal guide member extending between said first and second flange members; and a proximal guide member extending between said first and second flange members, wherein said distal guide member, said proximal guide member, and said linkage member are coupled to said at least one treatment member and act thereon to move said at least one treatment member between said deployed and undeployed positions.