Flexible Anchor Extenders

A system for minimally invasive surgery, comprising:

• a first bone anchor and a second bone anchor, each of said first and second bone anchors including a distal bone engaging portion and a proximal receiving portion;
• a connecting element including an elongated body extending between a leading end and an opposite trailing end, wherein said connecting element includes a length between said leading end and said trailing end sized for said connecting element to be engaged to said proximal receiving portions of said first and second bone anchors when said first and second bone anchors are engaged to respective ones of first and second vertebrae;
• a first anchor extender extending along a longitudinal axis between a proximal end portion and a distal end portion configured to releasably engage with said proximal receiving portion of said first bone anchor;
• a second anchor extender extending along a longitudinal axis between a proximal end portion and a distal end portion configured to releasably engage with said proximal receiving portion of said second bone anchor;
• and
• wherein at least one of said first and second anchor extenders includes a tubular body that defines a passage between said proximal and distal end portions thereof extending in a linear axial configuration, wherein said tubular body includes a series of reliefs between said proximal and distal end portions that allows said tubular body to be manipulated to a non-linear axial configuration between said distal and proximal end portions in response to insertion of said connecting element into said passage, thereby allowing said connecting element to be advanced from said proximal end portion through said distal end portion of said at least one of said first and second anchor extenders to the proximal receiving portion of the bone anchor releasably engaged to the other of said first and second anchor extenders.

An anchor extender for guiding placement of an elongate connecting element into a body of a patient, comprising:

• an elongated tubular body normally extending in a linear axial linear configuration along a longitudinal axis between a proximal end portion and a distal end portion;
• said tubular body defining a passage extending between and opening at a proximal end and a distal end of said tubular body;
• said tubular body further having a first side extending from said proximal end to said distal end, said tubular body being flexible to concavely curve said tubular body on said first side to form a non-linear axial configuration in response to said connecting element extending in said passage;
• and
• said first side of said tubular body defining a slot extending from said distal end toward said proximal end to allow the connecting element to be pivoted in said passage from a first orientation extending along said longitudinal axis to a second orientation transverse to said longitudinal axis to pass a leading end of the connecting element through said slot.