Patent ID: 8167887

Claim:
An introducer for inserting a connecting rod into tissue of a spine, comprising: an elongate hollow outer sleeve having a proximal end and a distal end; a handle attached to said outer sleeve at the proximal end; an actuatable rod attachment portion at the distal end of said outer sleeve to releasably pivotally attach to one end of said connecting rod; and an elongate inner shaft movable translationally within said outer sleeve and having a proximal end and a distal end, said shaft at the proximal end coupled to an actuation mechanism in said handle for selectively translating said inner shaft, said shaft at the distal end including a rod engagement portion including a rod engagement surface, said rod engagement surface being movable distally upon actuation of said actuation mechanism to a first position to place said rod engagement surface in engagement with a cooperative engagement surface on said rod to hold said rod in a selected locked orientation, proximally upon actuation of said actuation mechanism to a second position to space said rod engagement surface a distance from the cooperative engagement surface of said rod to allow pivoting of said rod relative to the axis of said inner shaft, and more proximally from said second position upon actuation of said actuation mechanism to a third position to actuate said actuatable rod attachment portion to release said rod from said outer sleeve.