Surgical access system and related methods

摘要

A system for accessing a surgical target site and related methods, involving an initial distraction system for creating an initial distraction corridor, and an assembly capable of distracting from the initial distraction corridor to a secondary distraction corridor and thereafter sequentially receiving a plurality of retractor blades for retracting from the secondary distraction corridor to thereby create an operative corridor to the surgical target site, both of which may be equipped with one or more electrodes for use in detecting the existence of (and optionally the distance and/or direction to) neural structures before, during, and after the establishment of an operative corridor to a surgical target site.

主权项

1. A surgical system for providing a lateral, trans-psoas operative corridor to a lumbar spine, comprising:
trans-psoas sequential dilation means for sequential dilation of a lateral, trans-psoas path to a targeted spinal disc of a lumbar spine, and inner means for sliding within said trans-psoas sequential dilation means and for engaging with a lateral aspect of the targeted spinal disc along the lateral, trans-psoas path to the lumbar spine, wherein a distal portion of at least one of said trans-psoas sequential dilation means and inner means includes a means for outputting electrical stimulation for nerve monitoring when the means for outputting electrical stimulation is positioned in the lateral, trans-psoas path; and a trans-psoas retraction means for retracting the dilated lateral, trans-psoas path to provide a trans-psoas operative corridor so dimensioned to pass an implant through the trans-psoas operative corridor along the lateral, trans-psoas path to the lumbar spine, said trans-psoas retraction means comprising: a plurality of means for maintaining the trans-psoas operative corridor along the lateral, trans-psoas path, and a holder means for mating with and retaining positions of the plurality of means for maintaining the trans-psoas operative corridor, wherein at least two of the plurality of means for maintaining the trans-psoas operative corridor are mountable to holder means so as to be caudal-most means for maintaining the trans-psoas operative corridor and acephalad-most means for maintaining the trans-psoas operative corridor.