Patent ID: 8016831

Claim:
A method for guiding instruments to a disc space between a cephalad vertebra and a caudal vertebra, comprising: aligning a reference guide instrument with a caudal endplate of the disc space by positioning a reference mechanism of the reference guide instrument in the disc space, the reference guide instrument including a guiding portion extending proximally from the reference mechanism and the disc space along a reference axis; securing a caudal member of the reference mechanism along the caudal endplate of the disc space with the reference axis extending parallel to the caudal endplate of the disc space, wherein the reference mechanism includes a securing member and an actuating member, wherein the actuating member includes a fixed portion and the caudal member extends from the fixed portion in a fixed relationship therewith to a distal end of the caudal member and the actuating member also includes a movable portion, the securing member including a distal end pivotally coupled to the distal end of the fixed caudal member and a proximal end pivotally coupled to the movable portion of the actuating member, the securing member further including an intermediate joint between the distal end and the proximal end of the securing member, wherein the actuating portion is linearly and distally translatable to pivot the securing member between the actuating portion and the caudal member and about the intermediate joint of the securing member to displace the intermediate joint of the securing member toward a cephalad endplate of the disc space; and guiding a preparation instrument along the guiding portion in a predetermined relationship to the reference axis to a location adjacent the cephalad and caudal vertebrae.