Patent ID: 8016829

Claim:
A surgical instrument system, comprising: a distractor including a shaft and a paddle, the paddle being located on a distal end of the shaft; a filler bar shaped to removably engage the shaft and paddle of the distractor; wherein when the filler bar is engaged to the distractor, the filler bar provides rigidity and torque strength so that the distractor can be inserted between adjacent vertebrae in a first orientation and rotated to distract the adjacent vertebrae; wherein the distractor paddle includes a first height dimension when presented in an insertion orientation and a second height dimension when rotated approximately 90 degrees to a distraction orientation, the second height dimension being greater than the first height dimension, the paddle having inferior and superior surfaces for contacting adjacent vertebrae in the distraction orientation; wherein the filler bar is dimensioned so as not to extend beyond the superior and inferior surfaces of the paddle; and wherein the distractor paddle and shaft present a guide surface for guiding the placement of an implant when the distractor is in the distraction orientation, and the distractor paddle further comprises an angled guide feature that is configured to guide an implant through a partial rotation to a desired angle.