Patent ID: 8764649

Claim:
A system for forming a trans-psoas operative corridor to a lumbar spine, comprising: a multi-bladed psoas retractor tool to create an operative corridor along a lateral, trans-psoas path through bodily tissue toward a targeted intervertebral disc of a lumbar spine, the multi-bladed psoas retractor tool including: a plurality of retractor blades; a blade holder mountable to the plurality of retractor blades, wherein the multi-bladed psoas retractor tool is adjustable from a first position in which the plurality of retractor blades are simultaneously mounted to the blade holder and collectively define a tubular channel to simultaneously advance along the lateral, trans-psoas path to a second position in which the plurality of retractor blades are spaced further apart from one another relative to the first position, wherein the blade holder comprises: arm portions that are pivotable relative to one another during adjustment of the multi-bladed psoas retractor tool from the first position to the second position, and a manually rotatable actuator that, when rotated by manual actuation of a user, is configured to drive movement of a first retractor blade of the plurality of retractor blades relative to a second retractor blade of the plurality of retractor blades independently from pivoting of any of said arm portions, and an articulating arm mountable to the blade holder of the multi-bladed psoas retractor tool to rigidly register the multi-bladed psoas retractor tool in a fixed position relative to an operating table when the plurality of retractor blades are positioned in the lateral, trans-psoas path, wherein when the multi-bladed psoas retractor tool is maintained in the fixed position by the articulating arm so that the plurality of retractor blades form the operative corridor along the lateral, trans-psoas path through the bodily tissue toward the targeted intervertebral disc of the lumbar spine, the operative corridor is dimensioned so as to pass an implant through the operative corridor along the lateral, trans-psoas path toward the targeted intervertebral disc of the lumbar spine.