Patent ID: 7785368

Claim:
An intravertebral treatment system for treating a human vertebral body including an interior region defined by a superior endplate, an inferior endplate and a cortical rim, and containing cancellous bone therewith, the implant comprising: at least one generally elongated non-expandable implant that is sufficiently flexible to be changeable from a pre-implanted configuration to an implanted configuration; in the pre-implanted configuration, the implant being substantially linear and having a free distal end configured for insertion into the interior region of the vertebral body; in the implanted configuration, the implant defining a vertically extending support structure wherein the free distal end of the implant forms a portion of the support structure, the support structure defining a hollow, cross-sectionally circular cylindrical shape with a cross-sectional size that is sufficiently small to reside within the interior region of the vertebral body, the hollow support structure defining a cross-sectionally circular cylindrical hollow resident volume for containing undisturbed cancellous bone and having a vertical extent in a direction between the endplates sufficient to exert a force to separate, support or both separate and support the superior and inferior endplates when said support structure is located within the interior region of the vertebral body; and a bone filler injection device for delivering bone filler into the resident volume, the bone filler injection device having an elongated bone filler delivery channel that is adapted to be placed in fluid communication with the resident volume.