Minimally invasive spine surgery is different from traditional, open spine surgery in that the open approach involves making a long incision down the back, stripping large bands of muscle away from the spine and then retracting, or pulling to each side, the surrounding muscles so the surgeon can get a clear view of the vertebrae of the spine to be treated. Minimally invasive spine surgery requires a small incision, muscle dilation and the use of microsurgical and image guided technologies to access, view and repair spinal deterioration or damage. Muscle dilation involves gently and gradually separating, rather than cutting and stripping the muscles that surround the spine. Surgeons can use the METRx® System to perform various surgical procedures including discectomy, cervical foraminotomy, decompression, scar tissue removal, etc.