Patent ID: 9724137
Date: 2017-08-08
CPC Classifications: A61B,A61F

Claim:
1. A surgical instrument comprising: a first member having an inner surface and an outer surface; a second member having an inner surface and an outer surface, the outer surfaces being engageable with tissue adjacent a spine that defines a longitudinal axis, the members being relatively movable between a first configuration and a second configuration to separate the tissue, the members each extending along an axis between opposite first and second end surfaces, at least one of the members comprising a projection extending laterally from the outer surface thereof, the projection comprising a bottom surface that is flush with one of the second end surfaces, in the first configuration, the members being disposable between a first position such that the inner surfaces define a substantially oval cavity that defines a major axis substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis and a second position such that the major axis is rotated relative to the longitudinal axis to separate psoas tissue; and a handle comprising a first portion that is fixed to the members in a first plane and a second portion that is pivotable relative to the first portion in a second plane that intersects the first plane.