A device for use as a portal in percutaneous minimally invasive surgery performed within a patient's body cavity includes a first elongated hollow tube having a length adjusted with a self-contained mechanism. The first elongated tube includes an inner hollow tube and an outer hollow tube and the inner tube is adapted to slide within the outer tube thereby providing the self-contained length adjusting mechanism. This length-adjustment feature is advantageous for percutaneous access surgery in any body cavity. Two or more elongated tubes with adjustable lengths can be placed into two or more adjacent body cavities, respectively. Paths are opened within the tissue areas between the two or more body cavities, and are used to transfer devices and tools between the adjacent body cavities. This system of two or more elongated tubes with adjustable lengths is particularly advantageous in percutaneous minimally invasive spinal surgeries, and provides the benefits of minimizing long incisions, recovery time and post-operative complications.

Methods and devices for improving percutaneous access in minimally invasive surgeries

A posterior spinal fusion system may include a plurality of cannulas that mate with cages polyaxially coupled to pedicle screws. The cannulas maintain access to the pedicle screws to facilitate percutaneous insertion of a fusion rod into engagement with the cages. Each cannula has a pair of blades that may be held together by an abutment member that at least partially encircles the blades. Each abutment member abuts the skin to define a variable subcutaneous length of the corresponding cannula. Each abutment members is also lockably removable from the corresponding blades to enable the blades to pivot with respect to the connecting element to a position in which they can be withdrawn from the connecting element. The blades of each cannula are spaced apart to provide first and second slots of each cannula, through which the fusion rod can be percutaneously inserted.

System and method for spinal implant placement

A lordotic guard (100) and method for guiding a bone removal device to form an implantation space in the human spine and, if desired, for inserting a spinal implant into the implantation space.

Dynamic lordotic guard with movable extensions for creating an implantation space posteriorly in the lumbar spine and method for use thereof

Various bone fixation/fusion devices are sized and configured to be placed across fracture fragments or between bones that are to be fused.

Systems and methods for the fixation or fusion of bone

Anatomic points within the body are projected outside the body through the use of extenders (180, 182, 188). The projected points may then be used for measurement, or to facilitate the selection or configuration of an implant that is positioned proximate the anatomic points using a slotted cannula (143). Such an implant may be a rod (270) for a posterior spinal fusion system. Pedicle screws (140, 142, 148) may be implanted into pedicles of the spine, and may then serve as anchors for the extenders. The extenders (180, 182, 188) may have rod interfaces (214, 216, 218) that receive the rod (270) in a manner that mimics the geometry of the pedicle screws (140, 142, 148) so that the selected or configured contoured rod (270) will properly fit into engagement with the pedicle screws (140, 142, 148).

Rod contouring apparatus and method for percutaneous pedicle screw extension

A lordotic guard and method for guiding a bone removal device to form an implantation space in the human spine and, if desired, for inserting a spinal implant into the implantation space.

Retractor for percutaneous surgery in a patient and method for use thereof

A guard and method for guiding a bone removal device to form an implantation space in the human spine and, if desired, for inserting a spinal implant into the implantation space.

Gary K. Michelson

Papers

Retractor for percutaneous surgery in a patient and method for use thereof

Dynamic guard and method for use thereof

Method for using dynamic lordotic guard