Patent ID: 8105331

Claim:
A distractor retractor assembly for use in spinal surgery comprising: a distractor retractor assembly including a distractor portion and a retractor portion, said distractor portion including a distractor head and a distractor rod, said distractor head having a distal end and a proximal end, said distractor rod is removably secured to said proximal end of said distractor head, said distal end of said distractor head having a tapered profile between said distal end and said proximal end and being constructed and arranged for insertion between adjacent vertebral bodies, said distractor head including a plurality of side faces positioned between said distal end and said proximal end, a keyed shaped projection secured to one of said side faces, said retractor portion including a tapered distal tip portion, a central portion, and a proximal portion, said retractor portion being approximately the same length as the distractor portion, said distal tip portion of said retractor portion having a lateral dimension proximate a lateral dimension of said distractor head, said tapered distal tip portion also being proximate the same shape as said distractor head, said tapered distal tip portion being constructed and arranged for insertion between adjacent vertebral bodies, said retractor portion being substantially planar in a single plane along a longitudinal length of said retractor portion, said central portion of said retractor portion including at least one surface which is convex and extends upwardly with respect to a lateral surface of said retractor portion, said tapered distal tip portion of said retractor portion including a keyway on a surface of said tapered distal tip portion and between lateral edges of said tapered distal tip portion, said keyed shaped projection of said distractor head having a profile which is constructed and arranged to engage and cooperate with said keyway to operatively connect said distractor portion and said retractor portion enabling insertion of said distractor retractor assembly between adjacent vertebral bodies, said keyway constructed and arranged to enable said distractor head to be removed from said retractor portion, said retractor portion being flexible thereby permitting it to bend sufficiently to move soft tissue while remaining inserted between adjacent vertebral bodies, said keyed shaped projection and said keyway forming a dovetail joint.