Methods and devices for treating fractured and/or diseased bone using an expandable stent 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 stent structure is introduced into the cancellous bone by deployment of a tool through the percutaneous path into the cancellous bone. The expandable stent structure is expanded and the tool withdrawn, leaving the expandable stent structure expanded inside the cancellous bone. Expansion of the expandable stent 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 stent 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 stent 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 , wherein expansion of the expandable stent structure within cancellous bone compacts cancellous bone.
5 . A system according to claim 1 , wherein expansion of the expandable stent structure within cancellous bone creates a cavity in cancellous bone.
6 . A system according to claim 1 , wherein expansion of the expandable stent structure within cancellous bone moves fractured cortical bone.
7 . 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 stent structure into the cancellous bone by deployment of a tool through the percutaneous path into the cancellous bone; and
expanding the expandable stent structure;
withdrawing the tool, leaving the expandable stent structure expanded inside the cancellous bone.
8 . A method according to claim 7 further comprising:
a tool sized and configured to introduce a filler material into the cancellous bone.
9 . A method according to claim 8
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.
10 . A method according to claim 7 , wherein expansion of the expandable stent structure within cancellous bone compacts cancellous bone.
11 . A method according to claim 7 , wherein expansion of the expandable stent structure within cancellous bone creates a cavity in cancellous bone.
12 . A method according to claim 7 , wherein expansion of the expandable stent structure within cancellous bone moves fractured cortical bone.
13 . A method according to claim 7
wherein the bone comprises a vertebral body.
14 . A method according to claim 13
wherein the percutaneous path is established through a pedicle of the vertebral body.