Patent ID: 8235997

Claim:
An instrument for locking a spinal rod to a rod coupling device, the instrument comprising: an elongate instrument body having an axis; at least one grasping member for securing the coupling device in a fixed position with respect to the instrument body; a drive member for advancing a cap member in an axial direction toward the coupling device secured by the grasping member; a shiftable reducing member for engaging the spinal rod and driving the spinal rod in the axial direction into engagement with the coupling device; and a drive coupler for coupling the reducing member to the drive member so that the reducing member advances in the axial direction simultaneously with the drive member, the drive coupler having at least one portion that disengages from the reducing member with the reducing member advanced to a predetermined axial position with respect to the drive member so that the drive member is free to advance in the axial direction without further advancement of the reducing member in the axial direction.