US Patent 11950790 Spinal surgery method and related apparatus

A surgical method utilizes a surgical instrument having an elongate probe with a distal end having at least one egress or outlet port. The method comprises inserting a distal end portion of the elongate probe into a spinal disc space adjacent two spinal vertebrae, ejecting or streaming a plasma jet from the at least one egress or outlet port into spinal disc material in the spinal disc space, and subsequently removing the elongate probe from the spinal disc space.