Patent ID: 7931677

Claim:
A method of persuading a spinal rod into a top loading spinal implant assembly, wherein said method comprises: operatively connecting a screw head of a pedicle screw assembly to a cam coupling rod reducer, wherein said cam coupling rod reducer comprises a lever cam; and rotating said lever cam, wherein said cam coupling rod reducer further comprises: an inner tube comprising: an inner hollow area; a cylindrical body portion comprising a closed end and an open end positioned opposite to said closed end and along the same longitudinal axis as said closed end, wherein said closed end comprises a through hole extending an entire width of said body portion, and wherein said cylindrical body portion circumferentially surrounds an entirety of said inner hollow area in between said open end and said through hole; a plurality of prongs extending outwardly from said body portion and along the same longitudinal axis as said body portion, wherein said plurality of prongs extend from said body portion at a position where said open end of said body portion is located; and an annular rib circumferentially disposed around an entirety of said body portion; wherein said lever cam is pivotally connected to a tip of said closed end of said inner tube, and wherein said lever cam comprises: an elongated base that articulates said lever cam 180 degrees; and a pair of semicircular arms spaced apart and parallel to one another and extending from said base, wherein each of said arms comprise exactly one hole that aligns with said through hole of said closed end of said inner tube such that said pair of semicircular arms straddle an entire width of said body portion; a cylindrical outer extension tube positioned around said inner tube, wherein said outer extension tube comprises: a concave end that contacts said lever cam during articulation of said elongated base; and a length equal to at least three-quarters of the length of said inner tube, wherein said outer extension tube comprises a tip end positioned opposite to said concave end, and wherein said tip end of said outer extension tube comprises a clover-shaped hole that permits said plurality of prongs of said inner tube to extend therethrough.