Patent ID: 8409194

Claim:
A spinal procedure comprising the steps: a. providing a cannula, a guide wire, a tapered dilator with a lumen, a trephine with a lumen, a depth control stop, and an elongated electrosurgical instrument that can be activated to generate electrosurgical currents, b. positioning a patent in a prone position, c. subjecting the patient to conscious sedation, d. a spinal needle with a lumen is inserted into the patient's back 8-10 cm from midline toward a spinal disc comprising an annulus surrounding a nucleus pulposus and through an intervertebral foramen, a guide wire is then threaded through the needle lumen into the disc nucleus, e. a 3-4 mm skin incision is made at the needle site and the spinal needle is then removed leaving the guide wire in place, f. the cannula and dilator joined together are then placed over the guide wire and advanced toward the annulus, g. the cannula with dilator is advanced under fluoroscopic guidance into the nucleus, h. next the dilator is removed creating a portal into the disc, i. next the depth control stop is mounted on the cannula and advanced to the patient's skin and secured to prevent advancement of the cannula, j. next the electrosurgical instrument is advanced through the cannula and into the pulposus and activated to generate electrosurgical currents to remove, shrink or modulate pulposus or annulus tissue.