Patent ID: 8636740

Claim:
An assembly for introducing a bone screw assembly to a spinal stabilization plate, the assembly comprising: an obturator having a probe end that includes a rotatable cam member and at least one retractable locking tab, the cam member having at least one lobe extending therefrom and at least one indent defined therein, the lobe being radially offset from the indent relative to a longitudinal axis of the cam member, wherein rotation of the cam member displaces the locking tab from a retracted position during which the locking tab is received by the indent to an expanded position in which the lobe pushes the locking tab radially outwardly from the probe end; and a plate reduction sleeve having a tubular wall and a bore extending through the tubular wall, the obturator extending within the bore of the plate reduction sleeve and slidably engaging the tubular wall, the tubular wall comprising at least one alignment member that engages the obturator to substantially prevent rotation of the obturator in the plate reduction sleeve.