Surgical instrument for implant insertion

1. A surgical tool for traversing a pathway with a removably secured implant, the tool comprising:

a probe having jaw operable to releasably retain an implant at a distal end of the probe, said probe having a guide housing operable to selectively effect movement of a portion of the jaw to selectively provide a passage for receiving a portion of said implant therethrough and releasable rotatably mounting of said implant to said probe, said probe including a rack carrier having a linear motion gear rack operably associated therewith, said linear motion gear rack being operable to engage a gear tooth on said implant; and

a handle having a lever pivotally mounted thereto, said lever being operably associated with said rack carrier to effect selective movement of said linear motion gear rack relative to said implant gear tooth and rotation of said implant.

2. The surgical tool for traversing a pathway with a removably secured implant of claim 1 wherein rotation of said implant is selective and incremental.

3. The surgical tool for traversing a pathway with a removably secured implant of claim 1 wherein rotation of said implant is bi-directional about a single axis.

4. The surgical tool for traversing a pathway with a removably secured implant of claim 1 wherein said lever includes a lock for selectively locking said lever in a selected pivoted position whereby said implant is locked at a rotational position.

5. The surgical tool for traversing a pathway with a removably secured implant of claim 4 wherein said lock includes a latch member pivotally mounted to said lever and includes a plurality of notches on a surface thereof, a detent is positioned to selectively engage at least one said notch to releasably fix said lever and said implant in a preselected pivoted position.

6. The surgical tool for traversing a pathway with a removably secured implant of claim 4 wherein said lever includes a biasing means for providing resistance to movement of said lever in a first direction, said biasing means having sufficient force to move said lever in a second direction when said lock is disengaged.

7. The surgical tool for traversing a pathway with a removably secured implant of claim 1 wherein said probe includes a plurality of components mounted to one another in a manner for selective relative movement including a support member fixedly secured to said handle, a rack carrier secured to said lever, said support member extending the length of said probe and providing a linear guide for moving components.

8. The surgical tool for traversing a pathway with a removably secured implant of claim 7 wherein said rack carrier extends adjacent to said support member.

9. The surgical tool for traversing a pathway with a removably secured implant of claim 8 including a guide housing, said guide housing being a tubular member extending around said support member and said rack carrier.

10. The surgical tool for traversing a pathway with a removably secured implant of claim 9 wherein said guide housing and said rack carrier each include indicia for indicating the rotational position of said implant.

11. The surgical tool for traversing a pathway with a removably secured implant of claim 9 wherein said implant includes an axle and at least one said gear tooth, whereby said axle is captured by a portion of said guide housing and a hook secured to said support member so that said at least one gear tooth engages said linear motion gear rack.

12. The surgical tool for traversing a pathway with a removably secured implant of claim 1 wherein said implant is an intervertebral implant.

13. The surgical tool for traversing a pathway with a removably secured implant of claim 1 wherein said implant is a connecting element for connecting at least two spinal implants.

14. The surgical tool for traversing a pathway with a removably secured implant of claim 13 wherein said connecting element is a spinal rod.

15. A method of installing an implant in a patient, the method comprising:

removably mounting an implant on a distal end of a probe in a manner for selective rotation of the implant relative to the probe, said implant having a gear portion and an axle portion, said implant being positioned a first rotational position relative to the probe;

positioning the implant at a desired rotational position relative to the probe;

moving the implant to a surgical sight;

rotating the implant on its axle by moving a linear motion gear rack along a longitudinal axis of said probe, said linear motion gear rack engaged with the gear to rotate the gear to a second rotational position relative to the probe;

installing the implant in the patient; and

releasing the implant from the probe.

16. A surgical tool for traversing a pathway with a removably secured implant, the tool comprising:

a probe having jaw operable to releasably retain an implant at a distal end of the probe, said probe having a guide housing operable to selectively effect movement of a portion of the jaw to selectively provide a passage for receiving a portion of said implant therethrough and releasable rotatably mounting of said implant to said probe, said probe including a rack carrier, a guide housing, said guide housing being a tubular member extending around said support member, said rack carrier having a gear rack operably associated therewith, said gear rack being operable to engage a gear tooth on said implant; and

a handle including a support member fixedly secured to said handle, said support member extending the length of said probe and providing a linear guide for moving components therein, a lever pivotally mounted to said handle, a rack carrier secured to said lever, said rack carrier extending adjacent to said support member, said lever being operably associated with said rack carrier to effect selective movement of said gear rack relative to said implant gear tooth and rotation of said implant.