Patent ID: 7387635

Claim:
Surgical instrument for inserting an intervertebral endoprosthesis which consists of two prosthesis plates and of a prosthesis core enclosed by these plates, said instrument comprising: two prosthesis holders which are open at the ends and can be spread apart from each other; a withdrawal device for withdrawing the instrument from the prosthesis plates located in the prosthesis holders and/or from at least one of the adjacent vertebrae, said withdrawal device having, on each prosthesis holder, a slide which has a variable vertebral limit stop; a slide guide in which said slide is displaced between a retracted end position and an advanced end position; and an actuating device which has a spacing-independent device for coupling the movement of both the slides; a device for transmitting a driving force between the withdrawal device and a handle formed by a lever arrangement; wherein the handle can be easily connected to the instrument when the transmission device is situated in the orerating position; wherein the handle and the transmission device are formed by a forceps configuration, and the forceps, on one of its working levers, and the instrument have complementary coupling means, while the other working lever acts on the slide; wherein a rocker is arranged between the withdrawal device and parts of the slide which interact with it, the rocker being a spacing-independent device for coupling their movement.