Patent ID: 8579909

Claim:
A device for inserting a spinal implant into a spinal disc space, comprising: an implant holder engageable to the implant, the implant holder being biased to a disengaged position and moveable to an engaged position with the spinal implant, said implant holder including: a shaft having a threaded portion and a tapered portion increasing in size towards a distal end of said shaft; an implant engaging portion at a distal end of said shaft, wherein said implant engaging portion includes a distal end section extending distally from said tapered portion to a distal end wall, said implant engaging portion further including a pair of projections extending distally from said distal end wall with a slit extending through said distal end wall separating said pair of projections from one another, said implant engaging portion also including said distal end wall forming a recess between said pair of projections and respective ones of a pair of fingers, said pair of fingers extending distally from opposite sides of said distal end wall to grasp opposite sides of the spinal implant in the engaged position when said pair of projections are positioned in an opening of the spinal implant; and a driver sleeve having a hollow interior, said driver sleeve being threadingly engaged to said shaft with a plastic bushing on a distal end of said driver sleeve in contact with said tapered portion, wherein said driver sleeve includes a hex nut on a proximal end of said driver sleeve, said implant engaging portion extending distally from said distal end of said driver sleeve, wherein said implant holder and said driver sleeve are rotatable relative to one another to move said implant holder from said disengaged position to engage the spinal implant.