Patent ID: 7588573

Claim:
An apparatus for installing a vertebral implant assembly, having a tubular body and a pair of endplate assemblies, between two vertebral endplates, the apparatus comprising: an axle having a proximal ends a distal end, and an axle axis; a set of gears connected to the proximal end of the axle, each gear of the set of gears having a plurality of circumferentially spaced gear teeth; and an engager device comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced engager teeth and being connected to at least one gear of the set of gears, the plurality of circumferentially spaced engager teeth extending further in the distal direction of the axle axis than the plurality of gear teeth such that only the plurality of circumferentially spaced engager teeth engage the tubular body to rotate the tubular body when the axle is rotated, wherein the engager device comprises a positioning mechanism including a pair of movable arc portions having substantially smooth opposing side surfaces adapted to at least partially surround and slidably engage the tubular body as the tubular body is rotated within the surrounding arc portions by the engager device.