Patent ID: 7601157

Claim:
A method for distracting two vertebral bodies of a human patient and delivering a flowable nucleus pulposus replacement material into an intervertebral disc space having an outer annulus, comprising the steps of: a) providing a flowable curable material having properties that upon curing emulate the properties of nucleus pulposus: b) providing a device for distracting and delivering a flowable material comprising, a body having a proximal portion and a distal portion, the distal portion defining a fixed shape sized and configured to distract the disc space of the human patient, the body also having a longitudinal passageway defining a first opening in the distal portion and defining a first injection port in the proximal portion; c) inserting the distal portion of the device through the outer annulus; d) distracting the vertebral bodies by advancing the shape into the disc space; and e) introducing the flowable material into the distracted disc space through the injection port and the first opening of the body, while the shape maintains the distraction of the vertebral bodies.