devices methods and apparatus for augmenting an intervertebral disc and more particularly to methods and instruments for minimally invasive access procedures for the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention reference will now be made to the embodiments or examples illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same it will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended any alterations and further modifications in the described embodiments and any further applications of the principles of the invention as described herein are contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates referring first to fig1 the reference numeral 10 refers to a vertebral joint section or a motion segment of a vertebral column the joint section 10 includes adjacent vertebral bodies 12 14 the vertebral bodies 12 14 include endplates 16 18 respectively an intervertebral disc space 20 is located between the endplates 16 18 and an annulus 22 surrounds the space 20 in a healthy joint the space 20 contains a nucleus pulposus 24 referring now to fig2 5 in this embodiment the nucleus 24 may be accessed by inserting a cannula 30 into the patient and locating the cannula at or near the annulus 22 an accessing instrument 32 such as a trocar needle or a k wire is inserted through the cannula 30 and used to penetrate the annulus 22 creating an annular opening 33 this accessing procedure may be repeated at.