Surgical instruments and methods

A method of performing surgery comprising:

• engaging a first surgical instrument with an implant;
• moving a pivoting member of the first surgical instrument from a first distal position to a second relatively more proximal position;
• rotating the pivoting member from a first orientation in which the pivoting member occupies a first footprint in a horizontal direction to a second orientation in which the pivoting member occupies a second footprint in the horizontal direction smaller than the first footprint;
• rotating the implant from a first orientation in which the implant occupies a first footprint in the horizontal direction to a second orientation in which the implant occupies a second footprint in the horizontal direction smaller than the first footprint;
• subsequently biasing a surface of the pivoting member against the implant so that the pivoting member and the implant are secured in their second orientations;
• inserting the instrument with the implant attached in its second orientation through an access portal extending through skin and tissue of a patient;
• after the implant passes through the access portal, rotating the pivoting member from its second orientation back to its first orientation;
• engaging the pivoting member with the implant so that the implant is rotated from its second orientation back to its first orientation;
• and
• engaging the implant to anatomy in the patient.

A surgical system comprising:

• an implant;
• a first instrument comprising:
• a body;
• an actuation member movably engaged to a locking mechanism, wherein movement of the actuation member from a first position to a second position causes the locking mechanism to move from an unlocked state to a locked state;
• a connection mechanism engageable with the implant, wherein, after engagement of the connection mechanism with the implant, movement of the locking mechanism from its unlocked state to its locked state locks the connection mechanism to the implant, and movement of the locking mechanism from its locked state to its unlocked state unlocks the connection mechanism from the implant, the implant being rotatable while engaged to the connection mechanism from a first orientation in which the implant has a first footprint in a horizontal direction to a second orientation in which the implant has a second footprint in the horizontal direction smaller than the first footprint;
• and
• an activation sleeve engaged to a pivoting member, the pivoting member being rotatable relative to the activation sleeve from a first orientation in which the pivoting member has a first footprint in the horizontal direction to a second orientation in which the pivoting member has a second footprint in the horizontal direction smaller than the first footprint, wherein the pivoting member has a surface shaped to contact the implant and retain the implant in its second orientation when the pivoting member is in its second orientation.