Patent ID: 7722618

Claim:
A spinal disc space distractor, comprising: a distractor tip; and a shaft comprising an outer cylindrical tube and an inner shaft disposed within said outer cylindrical tube, said inner shaft having a distal end removably connected to said distractor tip, said outer cylindrical tube including a first end, an opposite second end and a longitudinal axis extending therebetween, said outer cylindrical tube including a first non-tapering portion adjacent said second end and a tapering portion tapering from a larger configuration adjacent said non-tapering portion to a smaller configuration adjacent said first end and defining a window extending through said tapering portion in a direction transverse to said longitudinal axis, said distractor tip including a proximal head connected to and extending from a distal-most end of said tapering portion and with said proximal head and said distal-most end including driver elements engaged with one another wherein said outer cylindrical tube is non-rotatably engaged to said distractor tip to transmit rotational force from said outer cylindrical tube to said distractor tip, said distractor tip positioned axially beyond said window to permit visualization through said window.