Facet screw and delivery device

Abstract

Disclosed is a system for delivering a facet screw assembly to a facet joint. The system includes a facet screw assembly and a delivery device. The distal end of the delivery device includes a facet screw engagement feature, which is keyed to a corresponding delivery device engagement feature. In other embodiments, the system may include a facet screw assembly, a facet access guide, a washer sizer tool removably engaged with the facet access guide, a lateral mass decorticator guide slidably and removably engaged with the washer size tool, a washer implant delivery tool removably engaged with the facet access guide and detachably coupled to the facet screw assembly, and optionally an impact handle detachably coupled to the facet access guide, washer sizer tool, and washer implant delivery tool.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for delivering a facet screw to a vertebra, the system comprising:
 a facet screw; and   a guide tube comprising a proximal end, a distal end configured to receive the facet screw, and a lumen comprising a bend disposed nearer the distal end than the proximal end,   wherein the bend in the guide tube is configured to change a trajectory of a screw device advancing through the lumen from a first trajectory along a longitudinal axis of the guide tube to a second trajectory that is angled relative to the longitudinal axis, and wherein the second trajectory is configured to direct the screw device out of the distal end of the guide tube and into the facet screw and the vertebra at an angle offset from a longitudinal axis of the facet screw.