A system for performing minimally invasive spine surgery, the system comprising: a bone screw; a tissue retractor having a distal end portion configured to receive and removably couple to the bone screw, a proximal end portion opposite the distal end portion, and a pathway formed at the distal end portion and extending toward the proximal end portion, the distal end portion of the tissue retractor includes a blocking rib projecting into the pathway of the tissue retractor, the blocking rib having an inner surface, wherein the tissue retratctor includes first and second slots (218a, 218b) at the distal end portion and first and second longitudinally extending edges (224, 226) that define the second slot at the distal end; and an instrument (400, 1100, 1500, 1000) having distal and proximal end portions (402, 404) and a cylindrical sleeve with a hollow cavity formed therebetween, the instrument (400, 1100, 1500, 1000) configured for receipt into the pathway of the tissue retractor in an assembled configuration such that the pathway of the tissue retractor and the hollow cavity of the instrument (400, 1100, 1500, 1000) are coaxially aligned, the distal end portion of the instrument (400, 1100, 1500, 1000) includes a blocking tab that is formed by a distal extension of the sleeve and configured to be received by the blocking rib of the tissue retractor such that the blocking tab is configured to contact the inner surface of the blocking rib in the presence of a force exerted by the bone screw on an interior surface of the tissue retractor, characterized in that the longitudinally extending edges (224, 226) extend between the distal and proximal end portions (202, 204), wherein the first longitudinally extending edge is generally parallel with the longitudinal tissue retratctr axis (L-L), and the second longitudinally extending edge is generally parallel with the longitudinal tissue retratctor axis (L-L) at the distal end portion and curves in a helix-like shape from an inflection point near the distal end portion toward the proximal end portion. a bone screw; a tissue retractor having a distal end portion configured to receive and removably couple to the bone screw, a proximal end portion opposite the distal end portion, and a pathway formed at the distal end portion and extending toward the proximal end portion, the distal end portion of the tissue retractor includes a blocking rib projecting into the pathway of the tissue retractor, the blocking rib having an inner surface, wherein the tissue retratctor includes first and second slots (218a, 218b) at the distal end portion and first and second longitudinally extending edges (224, 226) that define the second slot at the distal end; and an instrument (400, 1100, 1500, 1000) having distal and proximal end portions (402, 404) and a cylindrical sleeve with a hollow cavity formed therebetween, the instrument (400, 1100, 1500, 1000) configured for receipt into the pathway of the tissue retractor in an assembled configuration such that the pathway of the tissue retractor and the hollow cavity of the instrument (400, 1100, 1500, 1000) are coaxially aligned, the distal end portion of the instrument (400, 1100, 1500, 1000) includes a blocking tab that is formed by a distal extension of the sleeve and configured to be received by the blocking rib of the tissue retractor such that the blocking tab is configured to contact the inner surface of the blocking rib in the presence of a force exerted by the bone screw on an interior surface of the tissue retractor, characterized in that the longitudinally extending edges (224, 226) extend between the distal and proximal end portions (202, 204), wherein the first longitudinally extending edge is generally parallel with the longitudinal tissue retratctr axis (L-L), and the second longitudinally extending edge is generally parallel with the longitudinal tissue retratctor axis (L-L) at the distal end portion and curves in a helix-like shape from an inflection point near the distal end portion toward the proximal end portion.