Structures for creating cavities in interior body regions
A shaft having an axis and a distal end portion is adapted to be deployed inside a vertebral body through a cannula. A filament is carried by the distal end portion. A surface on the filament is movable between a collapsed condition sized and configured to be deployed with the shaft through the cannula and an extended position that extends radially from the shaft. A mechanism is coupled to the filament to extend the filament in situ radially from the shaft into contact with cancellous bone within the vertebral body. The surface, when extended, defines a structure capable of forming a cavity wholly within the vertebral body in the cancellous bone.
1 . A system comprising
a cannula having an axis that establishes a percutaneous path leading into a vertebral body,
a shaft having an axis and a distal end portion adapted to be deployed inside the vertebral body through the cannula,
a filament carried by the distal end portion comprising a surface which is movable between a collapsed condition sized and configured to be deployed with the shaft through the cannula and an extended position that extends radially from the shaft, and
a mechanism coupled to the filament to extend the filament in situ radially from the shaft into contact with cancellous bone within the vertebral body, the surface, when extended, defining a structure capable of forming a cavity wholly within the vertebral body in the cancellous bone.
2 . A system according to claim 1 , further including
a tool to convey a filling material into the cavity.
3 . A system according to claim 1
wherein the surface carries at least one marker to aid visualizing the structure inside bone.
4 . A system according to claim 1 wherein the structure, when extended, is deployed at an axis that transverses the axis of the shaft.
5 . A system according to claim 1
wherein the shaft is flexible.