Surgical implant instruments and methods of use

A surgical instrument comprising:

• a proximal handle;
• a distal inserter portion having an elongate body that defines a hollow interior, the distal inserter portion having an opening for receiving a portion of the proximal handle therein;
• a locking portion configured to engage a unilateral portion of an implant;
• a control shaft received in the hollow interior, the control shaft being configured to translate proximally and distally to engage the implant engaged by the locking portion;
• a knob configured to engage a proximal end of the control shaft to translate the control shaft relative to the distal inserter portion to transition the locking portion from an unlocked configuration to a locked configuration to secure the locking portion to the implant;
• and
• a spring disposed between the elongate body and the knob, the spring being configured to exert a proximally-directed biasing force onto the control shaft;
• wherein, absent actuation of the knob to distally drive the control shaft the spring maintains the control shaft in a provisional locking position to provisionally engage the implant.