An expandable rod system includes a first rod portion having an internal cavity, a second rod portion sealingly positioned within the internal cavity of the first rod portion and moveable in a first axial direction relative to the first rod portion, and an osmotic chamber for receiving an osmotic agent to facilitate movement of the second rod portion to expand the rod system. The rod system includes a lock assembly engageable with the second rod portion to prevent the second rod portion from moving in a second axial direction. The lock assembly includes a tapered ramped portion and a bearing member that is moveable within the tapered ramped portion such that when compression forces are imparted on the second rod portion, the bearing member becomes wedged in the tapered ramped portion.

An areola marker placement guide. A guide can include a superior anchor, an inferior anchor and a slidable housing located between the superior anchor and the inferior anchor. The guide can include vertical and horizontal telescoping assemblies with right and left areola markers connected to the horizontal telescoping assemblies. The guide can be used to align the areola markers such that they are equidistantly spaced from one another.

Tool assemblies and methods are disclosed, such as for robotic-assisted surgery with a robot. The tool assembly includes a working tool (44) sized to be coaxially movable within the dilator (60). A locking mechanism (70) releasably couples the working tool (44) and the dilator (60) to one another such that, in a locked configuration, the robot supports the tool assembly. An actuator (86) is configured to receive an input to move the locking mechanism to an unlocked configuration and permit axial movement of the working tool within the dilator. The dilator (60) may include at least one spike (104) disposed within the grooves (128) to penetrate bone. The dilator (60) may include an inner sleeve and outer sleeve coaxially movable relative to one another to move the tool assembly from an initial configuration to a deployed configuration in which the spikes are exposed beyond the sleeve(s). Methods of preparing a pedicle of the spine with the tool assembly with robotic assistance are also disclosed.

Suture passer systems for tissue suspension and tissue compression are described. The system can include a shaft and a needle, wherein the needle is freely rotatable with respect to the shaft. The suture may include an overmolded segment. Methods of placing one or more implants, sutures, fastener, bone anchors and other devices are also described. The methods include moving tissue, including the superior pharyngeal constrictor muscle, palatopharyngeal arch, and palatoglossal arch. The methods include hyoid bone suspension.

An ultrapolar telescopic electrosurgery pencil that can be used in both monopolar and bipolar modes for cutting and coagulation. The ultrapolar telescopic electrosurgery pencil can operate at very low power levels (such as 15-20 Watts or less) to both cut and coagulate tissue thereby reducing patient risk and damage to tissue. An ultrapolar electrosurgery blade having a top, a bottom, opposing planar sides, a cutting edge, and a non-cutting end, an active electrode positioned on one of the opposing planar sides such that at least a portion of the opposing planar side is exposed near the cutting edge, and a return electrode positioned on the other opposing planar side such that at least a portion of the other opposing side is exposed near the cutting edge.

An access device for accessing an intervertebral disc having an outer shield comprising an access shield with a larger diameter (˜16-30 mm) that reaches from the skin down to the facet line, with an inner shield having a second smaller diameter (˜5-12 mm) extending past the access shield and reaches down to the disc level. This combines the benefits of the direct visual microsurgical/mini open approaches and the percutaneous, “ultra-MIS” techniques.

An IM tibial nail aiming guide for providing proximal and distal screw fixation in an intramedullary nailing (IMN) of a tibia includes an attachment that connects and disconnects easily from a jig's proximal handle. Specifically, the IM tibial nail aiming guide functions as an aiming guide for accurate fixation of all the respective proximal and distal screw holes in a tibial nail. The IM tibial nail aiming guide has a length and angle that are adjustable, affording the ability to use this IM tibial nail aiming guide with any tibial nail. This IM tibial nail aiming guide is made of radiolucent material that allows for a confirmatory fluoroscopic imaging to verify that both the proximal and distal screws are fixated appropriately. The IM tibial nail aiming guide permits a more accurate, safe, versatile, and efficient approach to tibial IMN.

A system and method for guidance of a device having a curved needle to a target tissue includes a tracking system having an imaging component, a processor, and a curved needle with known geometric parameters. The processor is configured to calculate a needle trajectory based on geometric considerations of the needle and the target tissue. Additional features and methods of the invention include a display with an annotated overlay for directing and tracking the curved device.

Provided is an apparatus and component parts of a system for the external fixation of bones. The component parts include fixation plates such as a C-shaped Plate, an N-shaped Plate, a J-shaped Plate, a K-shaped Plate, an I-shaped Plate, a Foot Plate, a Z-shaped Plate, a T-shaped Plate and an oval shaped Plate. Two or more fixation plates are configured along an axis, the two or more fixation plates; a plurality of telescoping adjustable struts that connect a first fixation plate along the axis with a second fixation plate of the plurality of fixation plates along the axis, wherein the first and second fixation plates are adjacent plates along the axis; and a plurality of posts, each post connecting two adjacent fixation plates of the plurality of fixation plates along the axis.

Systems and related methods for changing the angle of a bone of a subject is provided by the present disclosure. The system may include a non-invasively adjustable implant configured to be placed inside a cavity within the bone. The non-invasively adjustable implant may couple to a first portion of bone and a second portion of bone that is separated or separable from the first portion of bone, such that non-invasive elongation of the adjustable implant causes movement of the first portion of bone and the second portion of bone apart angularly. The system may include an anchor configured to couple the non-invasively adjustable implant to bone. The non-invasively adjustable implant may include an anchor hole configured to receive the anchor therein.