Patent ID: 7112206

Claim:
A system for use in human spinal surgery, said system comprising: a spinal implant having a housing with a leading end, an opposite trailing end, and a rotatable member therein for deploying bone engaging projections; and an insertion apparatus for inserting said spinal implant into a disc space between two adjacent vertebral bodies of the human spine, said apparatus comprising: an outer shaft having a leading end and a trailing end, said leading end of said outer shaft having an implant engagement portion configured to cooperatively engage said trailing end of said housing of said spinal implant said implant engagement portion including extensions adapted to move between a disengaged position with the extensions at a first distance from one another and an engaged position with the extensions at a second distance from one another to engage said apparatus to said spinal implant; a handle at said trailing end of said outer shaft; and an inner shaft configured to rotate within said outer shaft, said inner shaft having a leading end and a trailing end, said leading end of said inner shaft being configured to cooperatively engage said rotatable member of said spinal implant, said inner shaft rotating said rotatable member with rotation of said inner shaft, said inner and outer shafts being integral relative to one another to form said apparatus.