METHOD AND IMPLANT SYSTEM FOR SACROILIAC JOINT FIXATION AND FUSION

1 - 76 . (canceled)

77 . A method for repairing a sacroiliac joint of a patient, comprising:

a. creating a incision proximal to the patient's sacroiliac joint;

b. inserting at least one tang on a distal end of a surgical tool into said incision, said surgical tool including a lateral passage operable to allow an image sensor to be passed into said incision;

c. creating a void in said sacroiliac joint; and

d. inserting a fusion implant into said void, said fusion implant having at least one fixation element for engagement with bone tissue in an articular surface of at least one of the sacrum and the ilium of said sacroiliac joint.

78 . The method of claim 77 , further comprising removing cortical tissue from said articular surfaces of said sacrum and said ilium prior to inserting said fusion implant into said void.

79 . The method of claim 77 , further comprising rotating said at least one fixation element to engage said bone tissue in said articular surface of at least one of said sacrum and said ilium.

80 . The method of claim 77 , further comprising driving said fusion implant into said void, wherein driving said fusion implant engages said at least one fixation element with said bone tissue.

81 . The method of claim 77 , wherein said fusion implant contacts the patient's ilium and the patient's sacrum and compresses said joint, thereby securing said implant in said joint.

82 . The method of claim 77 , wherein said fusion implant is configured to substantially fix and fuse the patient's ilium to the patient's sacrum, thereby substantially immobilizing the patient's sacroiliac joint.

83 . The method of claim 77 , wherein said at least one fixation element comprises a helical anchor having a sharp end for piercing said bone tissue in an articular surface of at least one of said sacrum and said ilium.

84 . The method of claim 77 , wherein said surgical instrument includes two tangs and said step of inserting said at least one tang on said distal end of said surgical tool into said incision comprises inserting said two tangs on said distal end of said surgical tool into said sacroiliac joint with the two tangs positioned between the articular surfaces of said sacroiliac joint.

85 . A method for repairing a sacroiliac joint of a patient, comprising:

a. creating an incision proximal to the patient's sacroiliac joint;

b. inserting a distal tang of a surgical instrument into said incision from the posterior of the patient, said surgical instrument having a central passage for allowing the insertion of surgical tools into said incision and a lateral passage allowing an image sensor to be passed into said incision;

c. creating a void in said sacroiliac joint;

d. inserting a fusion implant into said void, said fusion implant having at least one fixation element for engagement with bone tissue in an articular surface of at least one of the sacrum and the ilium of said sacroiliac joint; and

e. driving said fusion implant into said void such that said at least one fixation element engages with said bone tissue, and said fusion implant fixes relative positions of said sacrum and said ilium.

86 . The method of claim 85 , wherein said at least one fixation element comprises a helical anchor having a sharp end for piercing said bone tissue in an articular surface of at least one of said sacrum and said ilium.

87 . The method of claim 86 , wherein said fusion implant is operable to connect said sacrum to said ilium in fixed relative positions in the sacroiliac joint.

88 . The method of claim 85 , wherein the inserting the fusion implant comprises:

a. attaching said fusion implant to an inserter tool, wherein the inserter has a proximal end configured to attach to the implant; and

b. inserting the inserter tool through said surgical instrument and advancing the inserter tool until said insertion control protrusion is arrested by the insertion control mechanism at a pre-determined point in the hollow barrel, and said inserter tool is prevented from moving the fusion implant further into said sacroiliac joint.

89 . The method of claim 85 , wherein driving said fusion implant into said void comprises rotating said fusion implant or a portion thereof having said at least one fixation element thereon.

90 . The method of claim 85 , wherein driving said fusion implant into said void comprises pushing said fusion implant into said void such that the at least one fixation element contacts said bone tissue.

91 . The method of claim 85 , wherein said surgical instrument includes two distal tangs and said step of inserting said distal tang of a surgical instrument into said incision comprises said two distal tangs into said sacroiliac joint with the two distal tangs positioned between the articular surfaces of said sacroiliac joint.

92 . A method for repairing a sacroiliac joint of a patient, comprising:

a. creating an incision proximal to the patient's sacroiliac joint to allow access to the posterior portion of the sacroiliac joint;

b. inserting a plurality of tangs protruding from a distal end of a surgical instrument into said incision from the posterior of the patient, said surgical instrument having a central passage for allowing the insertion of surgical tools into said incision and a lateral passage allowing an image sensor to be passed into said incision;

c. using an inserter tool to insert a fusion implant into said sacroiliac joint on a path that is substantially parallel to articular surfaces of the sacroiliac joint, said fusion implant having at least one fixation element;

d. advancing the inserter tool until a fusion implant passes through said surgical instrument into said sacroiliac joint; and

e. driving said fusion implant into said sacroiliac joint such that said fusion implant engages with said bone tissue.

93 . The method of claim 92 , wherein said at least one protrusion comprises a helical anchor.

94 . The method of claim 92 , wherein said at least one protrusion having a sharp end for piercing said bone tissue, and said helical anchor first penetrates said articular surface of said at least one of said sacrum and said ilium.

95 . The method of claim 92 , wherein no further fusion implants are introduced into said sacroiliac joint and said fusion implant is sufficient to fuse the sacroiliac joint.

96 . The method of claim 92 , further comprising creating a void in the sacroiliac joint having a complementary shape to fusion implant, wherein said fusion implant is inserted into said void.