Cavity formation device

Abstract

The present invention relates to devices and methods for treating fractured and/or diseased bone. More specifically, the present invention relates to devices and methods for repairing, reinforcing and/or treating fractured and/or diseased bone using various devices, including cavity-forming devices.

1 - 5 . (canceled)  
     
     
         6 . An apparatus, comprising: 
 a shaft having a distal end, a lumen and a longitudinal axis, the shaft configured to be percutaneously inserted into a vertebral body, the shaft having an elongate opening proximate to the distal end, the elongate opening having a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, the shaft formed of a metal having a thickness; and    an expandable structure having a range of motion between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration, at least a portion of the expandable structure being disposed within the lumen and adjacent the elongate opening of the shaft when in the collapsed configuration, at least a portion the expandable structure extending through the elongate opening when in the expanded configuration, the expandable structure formed of a metal having a thickness,    the expandable structure having a radial distance from the longitudinal axis of the shaft that increases for at least a portion of its range of motion from the collapsed configuration to the expanded configuration, the expandable structure compacting cancellous bone within the vertebral body during at least the portion of its range of motion from the collapsed configuration to the expanded configuration when disposed within the vertebral body,    the thickness of the metal of the expandable structure being less than the thickness of the metal of the shaft such that the expandable structure is less resistant to expansion than the shaft.    
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , further comprising: 
 a handle coupled to the shaft and the expandable structure, the handle configured to move the expandable structure between the collapsed configuration and the expandable configuration.    
     
     
         8 . A method, comprising: 
 inserting percutaneously a shaft into a vertebral body, the shaft having a distal end, a lumen and a longitudinal axis, the shaft having an elongate opening proximate to the distal end, the elongate opening having a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft;    moving an expandable structure from a collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration such that cancellous bone within the vertebral body is compacted, at least a portion of the expandable structure being disposed within the lumen and adjacent the elongate opening of the shaft when in the collapsed configuration, at least a portion the expandable structure extending through the elongate opening when in the expanded configuration, the expandable structure having a radial distance from the longitudinal axis of the shaft that increases for at least a portion of its motion from the collapsed configuration to the expanded configuration;    moving the expandable structure from the expanded configuration to the collapsed configuration to define a cavity including at least a portion of the compacted cancellous bone;    removing the expandable structure from the shaft while leaving the shaft percutaneously inserted into the vertebral body; and    filling at least a portion of the cavity with a bone filler.