Patent ID: 8882836

Claim:
A system for treating a vertebral body having a superior endplate, an inferior endplate and an interior region therebetween, the system comprising: a cannula having a distal end portion sized for insertion into the vertebral body and a lumen extending within the cannula and communicating with an opening in the distal end portion of the cannula; a generally elongated member for insertion into and withdrawal from an interior region of a vertebral body, at least a distal end portion of the elongated member having an initial generally helical configuration including a plurality of windings wherein at least one winding is spaced apart from an immediate adjacent winding, the distal end portion of the elongated member being deformable into a more generally linear configuration for advancement through the lumen of the cannula and out the opening in the distal end portion of the cannula for insertion of at least the distal end portion of the elongated member into the interior region of the vertebral body, the distal end portion of the elongated member being adapted to transition back into the initial generally helical configuration as the elongated member advances out of the opening in the distal end portion of the cannula and traverses through the interior region of the vertebral body, and the distal end portion of the elongated member being deformable into the more generally linear configuration upon retraction back into the opening of the cannula to withdraw the elongated member from the interior region of the vertebral body; and an advance/retract assembly operably associated with the elongated member and operable to selectively advance and retract the elongate member through the lumen and the opening of the cannula.