Patent ID: 7520888

Claim:
A method of treating a vertebral column comprising: gaining surgical access to a disc space of a vertebral column including introducing a sheath to provide an access path to the disc space; resecting at least a portion of the disc space of the vertebral column by introducing a tissue removal device through the sheath to the disc space and moving at least an end portion of the tissue removal device through a removal path to remove the portion of the disc space; removing the tissue removal device from the sheath; introducing a non-load bearing biological treatment into the resected portion of the disc space of the vertebral column by introducing the non-load bearing biological treatment through a treatment delivery device extending through the sheath and into the disc space and moving at least an end portion of the delivery device through a delivery path while the non-loading bearing biological treatment is emitted from the end portion of the delivery device; removing the delivery device and the sheath; gaining surgical access to an undamaged, load bearing spinous process region of the vertebral column spaced from the disc space; and mechanically unloading the disc space of the vertebral column by applying a load bearing spinal device to at least the spinous process region of the vertebral column.