Methods and devices for treating fractured and/or diseased bone using an expandable bio-absorbable structure that remains within the bone
A percutaneous path is created into a bone having an interior volume occupied, at least in part, by a cancellous bone, e.g., a vertebral body. An expandable bio-absorbable structure is introduced into the cancellous bone by deployment of a tool through the percutaneous path into the cancellous bone. The expandable bio-absorbable structure is expanded and the tool withdrawn, leaving the expandable bio-absorbable structure expanded inside the cancellous bone. Expansion of the expandable bio-absorbable structure within cancellous bone can, e.g., compact cancellous bone, and/or create a cavity in cancellous bone, and/or move fractured cortical bone.
1 . A system comprising
a first tool sized and configured to establish an access path through soft tissue to bone having an interior volume occupied, at least in part, by cancellous bone,
an expandable bio-absorbable structure sized and configured for expansion in cancellous bone, and
a second tool sized and configured for passage through the access path to introduce into the cancellous bone the expandable bio-absorbable structure, which remains within the cancellous bone upon removal of the second tool.
2 . A system according to claim 1 further comprising:
a tool sized and configured to introduce a filler material into the cancellous bone.
3 . A system according to claim 2
wherein the filler material comprises at least one of a bone filler, a bone cement, a synthetic bone substitute, a bone biomaterial, a hydroxyapatite material, a bone mineral material, a thixotropic material, a curable bio-material, allograft tissue, and autograft tissue.
4 . A system according to claim 1 further comprising:
a tool sized and configured to introduce a filler material into the expandable bio-absorbable structure to expand the expandable bio-absorbable structure.
5 . A system according to claim 4
wherein the filler material comprises at least one of a bone filler, a bone cement, a synthetic bone substitute, a bone biomaterial, a hydroxyapatite material, a bone mineral material, a thixotropic material, a curable bio-material, allograft tissue, and autograft tissue.
6 . A system according to claim 4 , wherein expansion of the expandable bio-absorbable structure within cancellous bone compacts cancellous bone.
7 . A system according to claim 4 , wherein expansion of the expandable bio-absorbable structure within cancellous bone creates a cavity in cancellous bone.
8 . A system according to claim 4 , wherein expansion of the expandable bio-absorbable structure within cancellous bone moves fractured cortical bone.
9 . A system according to claim 1 , wherein expansion of the expandable bio-absorbable structure within cancellous bone compacts cancellous bone.
10 . A system according to claim 1 , wherein expansion of the expandable bio-absorbable structure within cancellous bone creates a cavity in cancellous bone.
11 . A system according to claim 1 , wherein expansion of the expandable bio-absorbable structure within cancellous bone moves fractured cortical bone.
12 . A system according to claim 1
wherein the expandable bio-absorbable structure comprises a mesh material.
13 . A system according to claim 1
wherein the expandable bio-absorbable structure comprises a balloon.
14 . A method comprising
creating a percutaneous path into a bone having an interior volume occupied, at least in part, by a cancellous bone;
introducing an expandable bio-absorbable structure into the cancellous bone by deployment of a tool through the percutaneous path into the cancellous bone; and
expanding the expandable bio-absorbable structure;
withdrawing the tool, leaving the expandable bio-absorbable structure expanded inside the cancellous bone.
15 . A method according to claim 14 further comprising:
a tool sized and configured to introduce a filler material into the cancellous bone.
16 . A method according to claim 15
wherein the filler material comprises at least one of a bone filler, a bone cement, a synthetic bone substitute, a bone biomaterial, a hydroxyapatite material, a bone mineral material, a thixotropic material, a curable bio-material, allograft tissue, and autograft tissue.
17 . A method according to claim 14 , wherein expansion of the expandable bio-absorbable structure within cancellous bone compacts cancellous bone.
18 . A method according to claim 14 , wherein expansion of the expandable bio-absorbable structure within cancellous bone creates a cavity in cancellous bone.
19 . A method according to claim 14 , wherein expansion of the expandable bio-absorbable structure within cancellous bone moves fractured cortical bone.
20 . A method according to claim 14
wherein the expandable bio-absorbable structure comprises a mesh material.
21 . A method according to claim 14
wherein the expandable bio-absorbable structure comprises a balloon.
22 . A method according to claim 14
wherein the bone comprises a vertebral body.
23 . A method according to claim 22
wherein the percutaneous path is established through a pedicle of the vertebral body.
24 . A method comprising
creating a percutaneous path into a bone having an interior volume occupied, at least in part, by a cancellous bone;
introducing an expandable bio-absorbable structure into the cancellous bone by deployment of a tool through the percutaneous path into the cancellous bone;
expanding the expandable bio-absorbable structure by introducing a filler material into the bio-absorbable structure within the cancellous bone, and
withdrawing the tool, leaving the expandable bio-absorbable structure and filler material inside the cancellous bone.
25 . A method according to claim 24
wherein the filler material comprises at least one of a bone filler, a bone cement, a synthetic bone substitute, a bone biomaterial, a hydroxyapatite material, a bone mineral material, a thixotropic material, a curable bio-material, allograft tissue, and autograft tissue.
26 . A method according to claim 24 wherein expansion of the expandable bio-absorbable structure within cancellous bone compacts cancellous bone.
27 . A method according to claim 24 wherein expansion of the expandable bio-absorbable structure within cancellous bone creates a cavity in cancellous bone.
28 . A method according to claim 24 wherein expansion of the expandable bio-absorbable structure within cancellous bone moves fractured cortical bone.
29 . A method according to claim 24
wherein the expandable bio-absorbable structure comprises a mesh material.
30 . A method according to claim 24
wherein the expandable bio-absorbable structure comprises a balloon.
31 . A method according to claim 24
wherein the bone comprises a vertebral body.
32 . A method according to claim 31
wherein the percutaneous path is established through a pedicle of the vertebral body.