System and method for aligning vertebrae in the correction of spinal deformities

A rod gripper assembly for holding a rod and transmitting motion and force to the rod, comprising:

• a proximal member, two screw pins, a receiving jaw, and a locking jaw;
• each screw pin has a smooth pin portion, a stopping shoulder at one end of the smooth pin portion and a threaded portion at the other end of the smooth pin portion;
• the threaded portion of the first screw pin goes through a hole of the proximal member and is threaded and tight-fit into a tapped hole of a mechanical component, resulting in a revolute joint between the proximal member and the mechanical component;
• the threaded portion of the second screw pin goes through another hole of the proximal member and is threaded and tight-fit into a tapped hole of the receiving jaw, resulting in a revolute joint between the proximal member and the receiving jaw;
• the receiving jaw has a hook-like shape with a partial cylindrical inner surface to receive a rod;
• the locking jaw is mounted on the receiving jaw with a revolute joint;
• using a jaw-driver, the locking jaw is lifted up to allow the rod to be engaged with the receiving jaw from the opening side of the hook-like shape receiving jaw and is closed down with the jaw-driver to prevent the rod from disengaging from the receiving jaw.

A rod-implant connector assembly for connecting a rod onto a commonly used bone-implant which features a center pocket on one side and two lateral recesses respectively on two other sides adjacent to the center pocket side, comprising:

• an implant receiver member, a rod receiver member, and one or two locking bodies;
• when assembled together with the bone-implant, the implant receiver member is sandwiched between the bone-implant and the rod-receiver member;
• one side of the implant receiver member is shaped and sized to mate with the bone-implant on the side of the center packet and the sides of the two lateral recesses of the bone-implant;
• the opposite side of the implant receiver member has a flat surface which is in contact with a flat surface on the rod receiver member;
• the implant receiver member has a center opening and the rod receiver member has a center cylindrical protrusion with a circular groove in the midway;
• they are shaped, sized, and disposed such that the protrusion mates with both the center opening of the implant receiver member and the center pocket of the bone-implant, and a retaining ring is mounted into the circular groove to form a revolute joint between the implant receiver member and the rod receiver member;
• the implant receiver member has two lateral openings sized, shaped, and disposed to be aligned respectively with the two lateral recesses of the bone-implant enabling the implant receiver member to be latched and thus fastened onto the bone-implant;
• on the flat surface of the implant receiver member in contact with the flat surface of the rod receiver member, two straight grooves are made in two radial directions of the center opening;
• a portion of each locking body is shaped and sized such that said portion mates with and slides in the straight groove;
• the portion of each locking body outside the straight groove is shaped, sized, and disposed such that this portion slides into and mates with both the lateral opening of the implant receiver member and the lateral recess of the bone-implant to latch and thus lock the implant-receiver member onto the bone-implant;
• on the flat surface of the rod receiver member, two cam grooves are made;
• on each locking body, a protrusion is made to fit into one of the cam grooves;
• turning the rod receiver member with respect to the implant receiver member clockwise cams the locking bodies away and disengages them from the lateral recesses of the bone-implant enabling the implant receiver to be separated from the bone-implant;
• turning the rod receiver member with respect to the implant receiver member counterclockwise cams the locking bodies into the lateral recesses of the bone-implant, latches and locks the implant receiver member onto the bone implant.