APPARATUS FOR AND TREATMENT OF THE INTERVERTEBRAL DISC

摘要

A system and method for approaching the intervertebral disc through a percutaneous insertion from the of a patient for thermal or electromagnetic treatment of an intervertebral disc, includes an elongated probe member (104 ) having a guidable region (128) adjacent its distal end with an undulating groove (130) defined in its outer region in at least one radial direction of movement relative to a longitudinal axis of the thermal prove. Preferably, t he guidable region includes a plurality of undulating grooves (130), whereby adjacent undulating grooves are longitudinally spaced with respect to each other. The undulating grooves each define a sinusoidal configuration which m ay be arranged about an undulating axis extending in oblique relation to the longitudinal axis. The guidable region also includes a longitudinally extending backbone (132) may also include a cannula (102) to facilitate introduction of the thermal probe in the intervertebral disc. The cannula includes an arcuate end portion (110) dimensions to arranged the guidable region of the thermal probe at a desired orientation within the annulus fibrosis.