APPARATUS FOR FORMING CURVED AXIAL BORES THROUGH SPINAL VERTEBRAE

摘要

Surgical apparatus for forming one or more curved axial bore commencing from an anterior or posterior sacral target point and cephalad through vertebral bodies in general alignment with a visualized, trans-sacral axial instrumentation/fusion (TASIF) line in a minimally invasive, low trauma, manner. An anterior axial instrumentation/fusion line (AAIFL) or a posterior axial instrumentation/fusion line (PAIFL) that extends from the anterior or posterior target point, respectively, in the cephalad direction following the spinal curvature through one or more vertebral body is visualized by radiographic or fluoroscopic equipment. Generally curved anterior or posterior TASIF axial bores (22) are formed in axial or parallel or diverging alignment with the visualized AAIFL or PAIFL, respectively. The anterior and posterior TASIF axial bore forming tools (10, 110) can be manipulated from proximal portions thereof to adjust the curvature of the anterior or posterior TASIF axial bores as they are formed in the cephalad direction.