Patent ID: 8641719

Claim:
A method of inserting a spinal rod into yokes of at least two pedicle screw assemblies, the method comprising: placing a first yoke manipulator around a yoke of a first pedicle screw assembly; placing a second yoke manipulator around a yoke of a second pedicle screw assembly; coaxially aligning a longitudinal axis of a distal portion of a spinal rod inserter shaft with a longitudinal axis of a spinal rod; connecting the distal portion of the spinal rod inserter shaft to the spinal rod with the respective longitudinal axes generally coaxially aligned; keeping the connected spinal rod inserter shaft and spinal rod mechanically disconnected from the yoke manipulators to allow the inserter shaft and spinal rod to be advanced along a mechanically unguided path outside of the first yoke manipulator toward the yoke of the first pedicle screw assembly; and passing a distal end portion of the spinal rod through entrance and exit slots of the first yoke manipulator and at least an entrance slot of the second yoke manipulator with the longitudinal axes of the spinal rod inserter shaft distal portion and the spinal rod still generally coaxially aligned.