Surgical instrument for handling an implant

1. A surgical system comprising:

an implant having a first part and a second part detachably connected to said first part, the first part adapted to directly engage a first vertebra, and the second part adapted to directly engage a second vertebra adjacent the first vertebra, said first part including a convex joint surface mounted thereon, and said second part including a concave joint surface mounted thereon and facing the convex joint surface; and

an instrument comprising:

a holding element detachably connecting said instrument with each of the first and second parts of the implant, and

a spacer element extending between the first and second parts of the implant and maintaining a distance between the convex and concave joint surfaces, thereby preventing the joint surfaces from contacting each other;

said spacer element comprising two spacer members for receiving the joint surfaces of the implant between them, said holding element and the parts of the implant each comprising respective clamping elements configured to be pushed into one another for a detachable connection, and braced against each other at right angles to the direction in which they are pushed in for said detachable connection, said spacer element extending between said clamping elements.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein said distance between the joint surfaces is between 0.2 mm and 2 mm when said spacer element extends between the parts of the implant.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein said spacer element is plate-shaped.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein said spacer element comprises a flat top side and a flat underside for facing the parts of the implant.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein said top side and said underside of said spacer element are slightly sloped in relation to one another.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein said spacer members extend in parallel to one another.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein said clamping elements are projections and apertures engaging one another.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein said projections and apertures are pins and holes receiving said pins.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein said clamping elements are displaceable at right angles to the direction in which they are pushed.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the instrument comprises:

two pivotable arms; and

a tensioning device for pivoting said arms in relation to one another,

said arms carrying said clamping elements of the first and second parts of the implant at free ends.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein said arms are elastically pivotable in relation to one another.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein said tensioning device is a sleeve comprising a longitudinal axis, said sleeve extending over said arms and adapted for movement along said arms.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein said sleeve is rotatable around said longitudinal axis for movement along said arms and is mounted to the instrument via a screw thread.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein each of said arms carries each of said spacer members.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein each of said arms carries at a free end a clamping jaw in which said clamping elements are arranged and which forms a stop, with which the first and second parts of the implant are in contact when said instrument and the implant are connected with one another.

16. A surgical system comprising:

an implant having a first end plate and a second end plate, the first end plate including a convex joint surface directly mounted thereon and the second end plate having a concave joint surface directly mounted thereon, the first and second end plates being movable toward one another in a first direction to move the joint surfaces into direct engagement with one another; and

an instrument detachably coupled with the first and second end plates, said instrument comprising a spacer element extending between and engaging the first and second end plates to fix the first and second end plates in a spaced-apart condition, forming a clearance space between the convex joint surface and concave joint surface, so that the convex joint surface is held out of contact with the concave joint surface, said spacer element comprising two spacer members for receiving the joint surfaces of the implant between them, said instrument comprising a holding element and the parts of the implant each comprising respective clamping elements configured to be pushed into one another for a detachable connection, and braced against each other at right angles to the direction in which they are pushed in for said detachable connection, said spacer element extending between said clamping elements, thereby bracing said clamping elements against each other in a direction that extends at right angles to the displacement of the parts of the implant.

17. The surgical system of claim 16 , wherein the instrument comprises a first jaw and a second jaw, each of said first and second jaws being movable toward one another in a second direction generally perpendicular to the first direction to clamp onto and hold the first and second end plates in the spaced-apart condition.

18. The surgical system of claim 17 , wherein said spacer element comprises a flat top side and a flat underside for facing the parts of the implant.

19. The surgical system of claim 16 , wherein said distance between the joint surfaces is between 0.2 mm and 2 mm when said spacer element extends between the parts of the implant.

20. The surgical system of claim 16 , wherein said spacer element is plate-shaped.