Surgical Access System and Related Methods

Abstract

A surgical access system including a tissue distraction assembly 40 and a tissue retraction assembly 10, both of which may be equipped with one or more electrodes 23 for use in detecting the existence of (and optionally the distance and/or direction to) neural structures before, during, and after the establishment of an operative corridor 15 to a surgical target site. The tissue retraction assembly 10 has a plurality of blades 12, 16, 18 which may be introduced while in a closed configuration, after which point they may be opened to create an operation corridor 15 to the surgical target site, including pivoting at least one blade 12, 16, 18 to expand the operative corridor 15 adjacent to the operative site.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for accessing a surgical target site, comprising: a retractor assembly having a three blades capable of being advanced to said surgical target site along a longitudinal axis while in a closed position in which each of said three blades abuts the other two, and thereafter opened to create an operative corridor to said surgical target site, wherein at least one of said blades is pivotally coupled to a handle assembly to pivot about a pivot axis that is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis, and wherein at least two of the blades are arcuate in cross-section. 
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , including a distraction assembly for creating a distraction corridor to said surgical target site prior to advancing said retractor blades to said surgical target site. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein said distraction assembly includes an initial distraction assembly including a K-wire and at least one dilator capable of being slidably passed over said K-wire to perform said initial distraction. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , including a secondary distraction assembly for distracting said initial distraction corridor to a secondary distraction corridor, said retractor blades being advanced through said secondary distraction corridor to said surgical target site. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said retractor blades includes at least one stimulation electrode. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , further comprising a control unit capable of electrically stimulating said at least one stimulation electrode, sensing a response of a nerve depolarized by said stimulation, determining a direction from at least one of said retractor blades to the nerve based upon the sensed response, and communicating said direction to a user. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , further comprising an electrode configured to sense a neuromuscular response of a muscle coupled to said depolarized nerve, the electrode being operable to send the response to the control unit. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein said K-wire has a first stimulation electrode at a distal tip of the K-wire. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said system for establishing an operative corridor to a surgical target site is configured to access a spinal target site. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said system for establishing an operative corridor to a surgical target site is configured to establish said operative corridor via a lateral, trans-psoas approach. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 6 , further comprising a handle coupled to at least one of said retractor blades, the handle having at least one button for initiating the electrical stimulation from said control unit to said at least one stimulation electrode. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the control unit comprises a display operable to display an electromyographic (EMG) response of the muscle. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the control unit comprises a touch-screen display operable to receive commands from a user. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one stimulation electrode is positioned near a distal end of at least one of said retractor blades. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the retractor blades is constructed from a material that is at least partially radiolucent. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the handle assembly is equipped with a locking mechanism to selectively lock the blades in a selected position. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the locking mechanism allows the blades to be locked in any of a variety of predetermined angles. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the locking mechanism includes a rotating arm section coupled to the handle having a plurality of pre-selected stops corresponding to said predetermined angles. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the predetermined angles include the range of 0 to 20 degrees relative to when the blades are in the closed position. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one tool for pivoting the at least one blade, wherein the at least one tool comprises at least one of a wrench and a blade expander. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one of a blade extender and a blade shim configured to be releasably coupled to at least one of the plurality of blades. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein at least one of the blade extender and the blade shim include a lateral extension to increase the width of the blade extender and blade shim. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein at least one of the blade extender and the blade shim include a distal extension to increase the length of the blade extender and blade shim. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein said distraction assembly includes at least one stimulation electrode. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24 , further comprising a control unit capable of electrically stimulating said at least one stimulation electrode, sensing a response of a nerve depolarized by said stimulation, determining a direction from said distraction assembly to the nerve based upon the sensed response, and communicating said direction to a user. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25 , further comprising an electrode configured to sense a neuromuscular response of a muscle coupled to the depolarized nerve, the electrode being operable to send the response to the control unit. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 25 , further comprising a handle coupled to said distraction assembly, the handle having at least one button for initiating the electrical stimulation from said control unit to said at least one stimulation electrode. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the control unit comprises a display operable to display an electromyographic (EMG) response of the muscle. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the control unit comprises a touch-screen display operable to receive commands from a user. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the at least one stimulation electrode is positioned near a distal end of the distraction assembly.