Patent ID: 8337505

Claim:
A method for connecting an instrument to a bone nail comprising: providing a bone nail having an internal bore at a first end with a circumferential groove within the bore and a slot extending parallel to an axis of the nail intersecting said groove; providing an instrument for connecting to the nail comprising a spring-biased coupling element having a first end with a radially extending locking pin, said instrument having an elongated opening extending perpendicular to an axis of the instrument from an inner surface to an outer surface of the instrument, said coupling element having a radially extending actuating pin for extending through the elongated opening of said instrument; said coupling element having a first position and a second position wherein the coupling element is spring-biased towards said first position, wherein the coupling element and the first end of said nail includes an operatively engageable anti-rotation means for preventing rotation of the instrument with respect to the nail while allowing rotation of the coupling element; rotating said coupling element against said spring-bias to the second position by actuating said actuating pin of said coupling element within said elongated opening of said instrument; aligning said locking pin on said coupling element with the slot in said nail; inserting the coupling element into said bore in said nail, with said locking pin engaging said slot to an axial position where said locking pin is aligned with said groove; and releasing said actuating pin of said coupling element so that the coupling element rotates towards said first position under force of the spring and said locking pin engages said groove.