Surgical staple and instrument for holding and implanting the surgical staple

A surgical staple for compressing bone tissue, comprising:

• a first leg for anchoring in a first bone or bone fragment,
• a second leg for anchoring in a second bone or bone fragment, and
• an elastically deformable bridge monolithically formed with the first leg and the second leg, the bridge having a lower surface for seating against the bone tissue and an opposite upper surface, the bridge defining a longitudinal axis, the bridge having a first end section from which the first leg extends and a second end section opposite the first end section from which the second leg extends, the bridge is elastically deformable to orient the first and second legs parallel to each other,
• a first engagement portion at the first end section, the first engagement portion having an upper surface and a lower surface, the lower surface of the first engagement portion situated below the upper surface of the bridge and above the lower surface of the bridge,
• a second engagement portion at the second end section, the second engagement portion having an upper surface and a lower surface, and the lower surface of the second engagement portion situated below the upper surface of the bridge and above the lower surface of the bridge,
• wherein in a relaxed configuration, the bridge is bent or curved such that a central region of the bridge is directed away from the first and second legs, and free ends of the first and second legs are positioned closer to one another than are portions of the first and second legs connected to the bridge, and
• when the first and second legs are parallel to each other, the lower surfaces of the first and second engagement portions are parallel to the lower surface of the bridge.