Spinal stabilization surgical apparatus

Claim 1

A kit for preparing a site for implanting at least one spinal fusion implant into a disk space of disk material separating a first and second vertebrae, said kit comprising: a distraction spacer having a leading end and a trailing end wherein said leading end of said distraction spacer has a tapered surface and said distraction spacer is sized with a transverse dimension smaller than a transverse dimension of said implant and further sized to be inserted into said disk space at a first location with said distraction spacer sized for external surfaces of said distraction spacer to urge against said end plates of said first and second vertebrae to urge said vertebrae apart upon said insertion; a hollow guide tube for directing surgical tools from a proximal end of said guide tube through a distal end of said guide tube by acting on external surfaces of said tools to control a direction of movement of said tools; a tube guide for placing said guide tube at a second location, said guide tube adapted to direct tools axially through an axis parallel to and equidistant between opposing end plates of said first and second vertebrae, said tube guide including spacer means at said distal end of said tube guide with said spacer means sized for said guide tube to slip in close tolerance with said tube guide; said tube guide and said guide tube mutually sized for said tube guide and said spacer means to be withdrawn through said guide tube and removed through a proximal end of said guide tube; a boring tool sized to be inserted into and advanced through said guide tube to said second location for forming an implant bore at said second location, said boring tool restrained relative to said guide tube to prevent lateral movement of said boring tool relative to said guide tube as said boring tool is axially advanced.