Patent ID: 8377104

Claim:
A method of reducing a rod into a taper lock bone screw and locking the rod into place, the method comprising: providing a rod reducer including: an elongate body having a bone screw grasping element; a rod reducing sleeve circumferentially disposed around at least a portion of the elongate body, the rod reducing sleeve including a rod contact portion; a rod reducing lever coupled to the rod reducing sleeve, the rod reducing lever configured to actuate the grasping element to grasp the screw and position the rod into a rod receiving notch in the taper lock bone screw; a locking sleeve circumferentially disposed around at least a portion of the rod reducing sleeve, the locking sleeve including a screw grasping structure; and a locking lever coupled to the locking sleeve, the locking lever configured to actuate the screw grasping structure to grasp an outer sleeve of the taper lock bone screw and move the outer sleeve into a locked position; implanting the taper lock bone screw into a bone of a subject; placing the rod in the rod reducer; aligning the rod reducer with the taper lock bone screw; reducing the rod into the rod receiving notch in the taper lock bone screw; and locking the rod into place.