Patent ID: 7828727

Claim:
A surgical apparatus comprising: a handle structure including a handle locking structure, the handle locking structure including a handle locking arm and a locking catch; a shaft structure having a longitudinal axis, the shaft structure coupled to the handle structure, the shaft structure including a sleeve and an actuating arm movable relative to the sleeve by the handle structure; a spreading structure releasably coupled to the shaft structure, the spreading structure including first and second elongated bracing members and first and second elongated extending members, the first and second bracing members and the first and second extending members pivotably interconnected such that the spreading structure is movable by the actuating arm between a compact configuration for insertion into tissue and an expanded configuration in which the bracing members and the extending members are radially displaced relative to the longitudinal axis for manipulating tissue; and a protective sheath of shape-recovery material, the protective sheath covering the entire spreading structure in a substantially form fitting manner in any configuration of the spreading structure including the compact configuration, the expanded configuration and any configurations therebetween.