Patent ID: 7722617

Claim:
A surgical instrument to place a rod into a bone anchor of a spinal implant system, comprising: a first member and a second member pivotally interconnected by a pivot coupling, the first member including a first proximal end portion opposite a first distal end portion and the second member including a second proximal end portion opposite a second distal end portion, the first proximal end portion and the second proximal end portion being structured for manual manipulation of the instrument by an operator, and the first distal end portion and the second distal end portion defining a gripping nose including a bone anchor engagement portion shaped and sized to engage the bone anchor, and a rod engagement channel sized and shaped to receive the rod when the gripping nose engages the bone anchor, the rod engagement channel being positioned proximal to the gripping nose, the gripping nose being structured to rock about the bone anchor when engaged with the bone anchor to urge the rod positioned in the rod engagement channel towards a seat in the bone anchor; a guide fixed to one of the first member and the second member, the guide including threading; and a rotatable member including a proximal portion opposite a distal portion, the rotatable member including a threaded portion between the proximal portion and the distal portion, the rotatable member being structured to rotatably engage the threading of the guide with the threaded portion, the distal portion including a swivel-mounted head to bear against the rod and urge the rod towards the seat of the bone anchor by turning the rotatable member relative to the guide to move the swivel-mounted head towards the bone anchor when the gripping nose is engaged thereto.