Device and methods for fracture reduction
View Patent ↗Methods of creating a curvilinear cavity within a vertebral body or other bony structure and devices that may be used to perform the steps to create the curvilinear cavity. In one embodiment, a method of forming a curvilinear void in bony structure may include the steps of accessing a bony structure with a cannula, inserting a distal end of a drill device through the cannula and into the bony structure, manipulating the distal end of the drill device to create a curvilinear void in the bony structure, enlarging the void by expansion of a balloon element mounted to the drill device, and deflating the balloon element and removing the drill device from the cannula.
1. A method of forming a curvilinear void in bony structure, the method comprising the steps of:
accessing a bony structure with a cannula;
inserting a distal portion of a curvilinear drilling device through the cannula and into the bony structure, wherein the drilling device comprises a flexible drill shaft assembly including a sharp cutting tip, a flexible rotatable drive shaft coupled to the tip, and a flexible, moveable and non-rotatable housing;
manipulating the distal portion of the curvilinear drilling device to create a curvilinear void in the bony structure;
enlarging the void by expansion of an expandable element mounted on the distal portion of the curvilinear drilling device; and
collapsing the expandable element and removing the drilling device from the cannula.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the expandable element is expanded by fluid pressure.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of manipulating of the distal portion of the drilling device comprises a simultaneous rotation and curvilinear translation of the distal portion of the drilling device.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cannula is substantially straight.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the drilling device further comprises a locking element.
6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising the steps of:
locking the drilling device into the cannula using the locking element prior to forming the void; and
unlocking the drilling device from the cannula after forming the void and prior to removing the distal end of the drilling device.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the drilling device is manipulated in response to a rotation of an element at a proximal portion of the drilling device.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of reaming the void produced by at least one of drilling and expandable element expansion.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the expandable element is a balloon.
10. A method of forming a curvilinear void in bony structure, the method comprising the steps of:
accessing a bony structure;
inserting a distal portion of a drilling device into the bony structure;
manipulating the distal portion of the drilling device to create a curvilinear void in the bony structure;
enlarging the void by expansion of an expandable element mounted on the distal portion of the curvilinear drilling device; and
collapsing the expandable element and removing the drilling device from the cannula,
wherein the drilling device comprises:
a handle;
a flexible drill shaft assembly extending from the handle, comprising:
a cutting tip located at a distal end of the flexible drill shaft assembly;
a flexible rotatable drive shaft coupled to the tip; and
a flexible, moveable and non-rotatable housing.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the expandable element is expanded by fluid pressure.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the step of manipulating of the distal portion of the drilling device comprises a simultaneous rotation and curvilinear translation of the distal portion of the drilling device.
13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the step of accessing a bony structure includes using a cannula.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the cannula is straight.
15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the expandable element is a balloon.
16. The method of claim 10 , further comprising the steps of reaming the void produced by at least one of drilling and expandable element expansion.
17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the drilling device is manipulated in response to a rotation of an element at a proximal portion of the drilling device.