Patent ID: 8556903

Claim:
A surgical instrument to position an implant element relative to a bone anchor of a spinal implant system, comprising: an elongated extension with a distal end removably engageable to the bone anchor and extending along a first longitudinal axis from said distal end to a proximal end; a mounting member removably mountable to said proximal end of said extension along said first longitudinal axis, said mounting member including first and second linking arms; a reducing member extending along a second longitudinal axis, said reducing member being pivotally linked to said mounting member in side-by-side relation about a pivot axis, said reducing member including at least one leg movable distally along said second longitudinal axis for positioning in contact with the implant element, said first and second linking arms extending from a proximal end of said mounting member to said reducing member, wherein said first and second linking arms are coupled to opposite sides of said reducing member at said pivot axis; and a lateral displacement member engaged to one of said mounting member and said reducing member and positionable in contact with a proximal portion of the other of said mounting member and said reducing member, said lateral displacement member being operable to move said proximal portion of said reducing member away from said mounting member about said pivot axis to move a distal end of said at least one leg toward said distal end of said extension thereby positioning the implant element in a location more proximate the bone anchor.