Patent ID: 8048084

Claim:
A surgical instrument for inserting an intervertebral implant into an intervertebral space between two adjacent vertebral bodies of two vertebrae of a human or animal spinal column, said instrument comprising: an elongate shank and a spacer element, said shank defining a longitudinal direction and comprising at least two abutment-element holding elements, each abutment-element holding element having a distal end for detachable connection to a first abutment element and a second abutment element of the intervertebral implant, the distal ends of the abutment-element holding elements being moveable toward one another in a transverse direction that is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, said spacer element projecting from the distal end of the shank in extension thereof and which, when the abutment elements are connected to the instrument, engages between the abutment elements and holds them a defined spacing apart from one another, and said spacer element being supported movably relative to at least one of the abutment-element holding elements in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the shank, the spacer element being laterally displaceable relative to the shank in a lateral direction that is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and substantially perpendicular to the transverse direction.