Abstract: A tack for insertion into facets joints of the human spine includes one or more bioactive materials. The tack is preferably pushed/impacted axially into a hole in the facets, rather than rotated or screwed into the hole/facets. For example, the bioactive material may be outer sidewall(s) made of porous material that receives and/or encourages bone growth into its pores. Or, for example, the bioactive material may be osteobiologic material, demineralized bone matrix (DBM), sponge holding bone morphogenic protein (BMP), allograft bone, or other bioactive material inside an interior space of the tack. Apertures may be provided in the outer wall of a hollow tack to allow bone growth into the interior space of the tack. The tack may have a longitudinal passage, so that the tack may be installed on and slid along a guide-wire in percutaneous surgery that is guided by intraoperative imaging navigation.

Abstract: A tack for insertion into facets of the human spine is made of one or more bioactive materials. The tack is preferably pushed/impacted axially into holes in said facets, rather than rotated or screwed into said holes/facets. The tack may be installed at the posterior side of the lumbar region of the spine, to either fix facets of two vertebrae together or to fix facets of the lowermost vertebra to facets of the sacrum. The preferred tack may be made with barbs or other protrusions that resist or prevent the tack from backing out of the holes of the facets, or may be made without barbs and without protrusions, other than the natural surface texture or porous texture of the preferred porous metal(s) material. The barb-less and protrusion-less tacks are believed to be effective in remaining inside the holes/facets by virtue of their surface texture, which at least in part results from their porosity.