Patent ID: 8608751

Claim:
In combination, an assembly system comprising: a taper seating connector, including: a fastener having a shaft and a hooked head, said shaft having a threaded portion and a non-threaded portion, said threaded portion of said shaft adapted for threaded connection to a first orthopedic component having one of a male tapered surface and a female tapered surface; and a bushing having an external uppermost surface, an opposing end surface, and an aperture extending therethrough including a counterbore disposed between said external uppermost surface and an internal uppermost surface, said non-threaded portion of said shaft of said fastener configured to be positioned at least partially within said aperture of said bushing, said threaded portion of said shaft configured to be positioned entirely outside of said aperture adjacent to said end surface of said bushing, said hooked head of said fastener configured to be positioned outside of said aperture adjacent to said external uppermost surface of said bushing and extending beyond a periphery of said bushing, whereby said hooked head is configured to be available for securement, wherein said bushing is configured to be retained on and axially moveable along said non-threaded portion of said shaft of said fastener, said bushing is configured to be moveable along said non-threaded portion of said shaft between a first position in which said hooked head of said fastener contacts said external uppermost surface of said bushing and a second position in which a thread of said threaded portion of said shaft contacts said end surface of said bushing, said bushing configured to be positioned adjacent a second orthopedic component when said fastener is threadingly connected to the first orthopedic component, wherein the second orthopedic component has the other of said one of a male tapered surface and a female tapered surface, whereby movement of one of said fastener and said bushing results in corresponding movement of one of the first and second orthopedic components; and a taper seating tool having a rod and a sleeve, said rod configured for selective attachment to said fastener of said taper seating connector, said sleeve configured to selectively abut said bushing of said taper seating connector when said rod is attached to said fastener, whereby movement of at least one of said rod and said sleeve relative to the other of said rod and said sleeve seats said male tapered surface and said female tapered surface.