Patent ID: 9615941
Date: 2017-04-11
CPC Classifications: A61B,A61F

Claim:
1. A method of altering a connection between components of an orthopedic implant comprising: providing or obtaining an orthopedic tool that includes an elongate housing that defines a longitudinal axis and includes an upper portion, a lower portion at least partially separable from the upper portion, a head, a wedge positioned between the upper portion and the lower portion of the elongate housing, and a handle extending from the wedege to beyond a proximal end of the elongate housing; engaging the upper portion of the elongate housing to a first component of the orthopedic implant and the lower portion of the elongate housing to a second component of the orthopedic implant, wherein the first component and the second component are in a connected relationship with one another; advancing the wedge distally along the longitudinal axis of the elongate housing toward the head in order to separate the upper portion from the lower portion thereby altering the connected relationship between the first component and the second component; attaching an impaction cap to the elongate housing by directly contacting an impact transfer surface of the impaction cap to the proximal end of the elongate housing, wherein a cavity is defined between the impaction cap and the handle; and applying an impaction force to an outer cap impaction surface of the impaction cap that is disposed generally opposite the impact transfer surface, wherein the impaction force is transferred substatially entirely through the elongate housing to the first and second components.