Methods and apparatus for placing materials into bone

Abstract

A cannula establishes a subcutaneous path into bone. A tamping instrument can be manipulated independent of the cannula to enable insertion of the tamping instrument into the cannula, advancement of the tamping terminus in the cannula to urge material residing in the cannula into bone, and withdrawal of the tamping terminus from the cannula. The tamping instrument includes at least one marking to visually gauge the advancement of a terminus of the tamping instrument relative to a distal end of the cannula.

1 . Apparatus for delivering material into bone comprising a cannula for establishing a subcutaneous path into bone, and a tamping instrument having a tamping terminus and including at least one marking to visually gauge the advancement of the terminus relative to the distal end of the cannula, the tamping instrument being sized and configured for manipulation independent of the cannula to enable insertion of the tamping instrument into the cannula, advancement of the tamping terminus in the cannula to urge material residing in the cannula into bone, and withdrawal of the tamping terminus from the cannula.  
     
     
         2 . Apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the tamping instrument includes a set point marking spaced from the terminus at a distance generally equal to the length of the cannula.  
     
     
         3 . Apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the tamping instrument includes at least one additional marking to visually gauge advancement of the terminus relative to the distal end of the cannula.  
     
     
         4 . Apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the material comprises at least one of bone cement, autograft material, allograft material, calcium carbonate, demineralized bone matrix material, calcium phosphate.  
     
     
         5 . A method comprising 
 providing apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , and    manipulating the apparatus to deliver material into bone relying at least in part upon the at least one marking to visually gauge the advancement of the terminus relative to the distal end of the cannula.    
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein the material comprises at least one of bone cement, autograft material, allograft material, calcium carbonate, demineralized bone matrix material, calcium phosphate.  
     
     
         7 . A method comprising 
 deploying an expandable device through a percutaneous path into a vertebral body having cancellous bone volume to create a cavity in the cancellous bone volume,    advancing a tamping instrument through a percutaneous cannula to deliver material into the cavity, and    visually gauging the advancement by observing at least one predetermined marking on the tamping instrument to determine a position of a terminus of the tamping instrument relative to a distal end of the cannula.    
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein the material comprises at least one of bone cement, autograft material, allograft material, calcium carbonate, demineralized bone matrix material, calcium phosphate.