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US007520879B2
(12) United States Patent ao) Patent No.: Us 7,520,879 B2
Justis et al. (45) Date of Patent: Apr. 21,2009
(54) SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS AND
TECHNIQUES FOR PERCUTANEOUS
PLACEMENT OF SPINAL STABILIZATION
ELEMENTS
(75) Inventors: Jeff R. Justis, Collierville, TN (US);
John D. Pond, Jr., Germantown, TN
(US)
(73) Assignee: Warsaw Orthopedic, Inc.
( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154(b) by 345 days.
(21) Appl.No.: 11/348,999
(22) Filed: Feb. 7, 2006
(65) Prior Publication Data
US 2007/0213714 Al Sep. 13, 2007
(51) Int. CI.
A61F 5/00 (2006.01)
A61B17/58 (2006.01)
(52) U.S. CI 606/86 A; 606/99
(58) Field of Classification Search 606/61,
606/99, 86 A, 250-262, 264-275, 278, 86 R See application file for complete search history.
(56) References Cited
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
Systems and methods for positioning a connecting element adjacent the spinal column in minimally invasive procedures include instruments that guide the connecting element from a location remote from one or more anchors to a location proximate to the one or more anchors. The instruments include extensions mountable to anchors, and inserter instruments mountable to the connecting element for positioning the connecting element adjacent the anchors in a minimally invasive procedure. The inserter instruments need not be mounted to the anchors or to the anchor extensions, and are operable independently thereof to position the connecting element into the patient along a minimally invasive insertion path from a location remote from the anchor extensions.
39 Claims, 13 Drawing Sheets
