Patent ID: 7708761

Claim:
An arthroscopic type portal facet surgical method comprising: placing a portal into a human patient through a minimally invasive incision in the tissue of said human patient; accessing a facet joint through said portal, wherein said facet joint comprises a first facet joint bone and a second facet joint bone, and wherein said first facet joint bone comprises a first articulated surface and said second facet joint bone comprises a second articulated surface, and wherein said first articulated surface and said second articulated surface face each other at said facet joint; inserting a drill bit into said portal; drilling a hole with said drill bit into said facet joint between said first articulated surface and said second articulated surface through said portal; removing said drill bit from said hole through said portal; inserting a facet joint fusion plug into said hole through said portal; inserting a tamping instrument into said portal; and tamping said facet joint fusion plug into said hole with said tamping instrument through said portal.