INSTRUMENTATION FOR LATERAL SURGICAL CORRECTION OF HUMAN THORACIC AND LUMBAR SPINAL DISEASE

摘要

An improved method and instrumentation forperforming spinal surgery, including dissection, inter-bodyfusion, and rigid internal fixation of the spine from the lateralaspect of the spine, is disclosed. The surgical procedure can beperformed through a very small incision. The instrumentationof the present invention, all of which is inserted from a lateralposition into the spine in the preferred embodiment, includesa guide pin (30), a distractor (100), an extended outer sleeve(140), an inner sleeve (242), an adjustable drill (250), and animplant driver. The distractor (100) of the present invention isdriven into the disc for spacing apart and realigning theadjacent vertebrae. It further functions as an alignment rod forinserting the extended outer sleeve which is a hollow tubularmember capable of maintaining said spacing and alignment oftwo adjacent vertebrae, and defines a protected space throughwhich subsequent instruments may be included.