Patent ID: 8709082

Claim:
A method of performing a surgical anterior extradiscal correction of a thoracolumbar pathology, the method comprising: (a) surgically approaching a patient's spine and correcting a thoracolumbar pathology; (b) aligning adjacent vertebral bodies; and (c) securing said vertebral bodies in a desired relative position with anterior instrumentation that penetrates at least one of said vertebral bodies, said anterior instrumentation comprising rigid bioabsorbable elements; wherein said step of securing said vertebral bodies in a desired relative position with anterior instrumentation includes a first bioabsorbable anchor for penetrating an anterior portion of a first sacral, thoracic or lumbar vertebral body; a second bioabsorbable anchor for penetrating an anterior portion of a second sacral, thoracic or lumbar vertebral body; and bioabsorbable instrumentation fixedly connecting said first bioabsorbable anchor to said second bioabsorbable anchor, whereby said first sacral, thoracic or lumbar vertebral body may be surgically fixed to a second sacral, thoracic or lumbar vertebral body for a predetermined period of time until said bioabsorbable instrumentation is absorbed by a patient's body; wherein said first bioabsorbable anchor is fabricated from a bioabsorbable material that is constructed and arranged to retain at least 75% of its strength for a period of time that is within a range of about two months to about twelve months subsequent to surgical implantation of said bioabsorbable instrumentation.