An apparatus comprises a body and a shaft assembly. The shaft assembly is configured to couple with the body such that the shaft assembly extends distally relative to the body. The shaft assembly comprises a tubular member, an acoustic waveguide, and a guiding member. The acoustic waveguide is operable to selectively couple with an ultrasonic transducer assembly. The tubular member is configured to insertingly receive the acoustic waveguide. The acoustic waveguide comprises a guide feature. The guiding member is configured to engage the guide feature of the acoustic waveguide and thereby orient the acoustic waveguide in relation to the tubular member.

A method of using a surgical modular robotic assembly including an interchangeable motor pack, a hand-held surgical instrument, and a robotic surgical instrument is disclosed. The method includes releasably attaching an interface portion of the interchangeable motor pack to the hand-held surgical instrument, causing the interchangeable motor pack to drive a first surgical tool of the hand-held surgical instrument, stopping the interchangeable motor pack from driving the first surgical tool, disconnecting the interface portion from the hand-held surgical instrument, and releasably attaching the interface portion of the interchangeable motor pack to the robotic surgical instrument.

Described herein are various implementations of systems and methods for accessing and modulating tissue (for example, systems and methods for accessing and ablating nerves or other tissue within or surrounding a vertebral body to treat chronic lower back pain). Assessment of vertebral endplate degeneration or defects (e.g., pre-Modic changes) to facilitate identification of treatment sites and protocols are also provided in several embodiments. Several embodiments comprise the use of biomarkers to confirm or otherwise assess ablation, pain relief, efficacy of treatment, etc. Some embodiments include robotic elements for, as an example, facilitating robotically-controlled access, navigation, imaging, and/or treatment.

A sleeve insertion assembly includes a sleeve inserter defining an inner chamber and having a distal end and a proximal end opposite the distal end, a sleeve receivable within the inner chamber, and a blade guard receivable within the sleeve and having a cylindrical body that defines an interior and an open end. The open end is sized to receive jaw members of an end effector into the interior but prevent the end effector from entering the interior, and the blade guard is forced out of the sleeve when the sleeve is installed on the end effector.

Systems, instruments, and methods for performing a medical procedure. The methods comprise: obtaining a surgical instrument that combines a head positioner and a driver into a single integrated part (the driver being at least partially inserted through an elongate aperture formed in the head positioner so as to extend from a proximal end of the head positioner to a distal end of the head positioner); using an actuable structure of the head positioner to limit an amount that the driver can linearly travel in a first direction within the elongate aperture formed in the head positioner; causing a screw to threadingly engage an object via rotation of the driver in at least a first direction around a central axis of the surgical instrument; and changing an orientation of a receiver via rotation of the head positioner about a portion of the driver.

Robotic rod benders are disclosed including a motor housing and a mechanical housing coupled with the motor housing. The motor housing may include first and second rod feeding/rotating motors, a brake motor, a bending motor, first and second rod feeding/rotating transmission inputs, a brake transmission input, and a bending transmission input. The mechanical housing may include a rod feeding/rotating subassembly, a brake subassembly, a bending subassembly, first and second rod feeding/rotating transmission outputs, a brake transmission output, and a bending transmission output. Separate motor and mechanical housings are also disclosed.

Methods and surgical tools for treating back pain use a spinal facet debridement tool with cautery and denuding action and minimally invasive protocol that can denude and cauterize soft tissue associated with a synovial capsule of the spinal facet joint.

A sternal elevator apparatus is disclosed. The sternal elevator may include a panel, a support beam traversing the panel, and a post coupled to a proximal end of the panel. The apparatus may also include an indicator handle coupled to the sternal elevator, an actuator drive pivotably coupled to the indicator handle, and a housing movably coupled to the actuator drive. The sternal elevator apparatus may have an actuator drive incorporating a linear rack. The housing further may include a cylindrical gear where the cylindrical gear is engaged with the linear rack.

Disclosed are methods and systems for restoring patency across a vascular or non-vascular occlusion. The system may include a retrograde catheter, having a proximal end, a distal end, a first central lumen and a first side port spaced proximally apart from the distal end, the first central lumen extending at least as far as the first side port. An antegrade catheter is also provided, having a proximal end, a distal end, a second central lumen in communication with a second side port spaced proximally apart from the distal end. The catheters may have complementary surface configurations to facilitate alignment of the first and second side ports, so that a wire may be passed out of one of the side ports and into the other side port.

Disclosed are methods and devices for restoring patency across a vascular or non-vascular occlusion. A first catheter having a first side port is configured to advance in a first direction through a vessel from a vascular access site on a first side of the occlusion. A second catheter having a second side port is configured to advance in a second direction through the vessel from a vascular access site on a second side of the occlusion. The catheters may have complementary surface configurations to facilitate alignment of the first and second side ports, so that a wire may be passed through the catheters, out of one of the side ports and into the other side port, to bypass the occlusion.