Cable driven surgical stapling and cutting instrument with apparatus for preventing inadvertent cable disengagement

A surgical instrument, comprising:

• an elongate channel assembly constructed to operably support a staple cartridge therein;
• a knife assembly oriented for travel within said elongate channel assembly;
• first and second distal cable transition supports on said distal end of said elongate channel assembly;
• a second cable transition support on said knife assembly;
• a drive cable extending around at least a portion of said first and second distal cable transition supports and said second cable transition support on said knife assembly and interfacing with a cable drive system to drive said knife assembly within said elongate channel assembly;
• and
• at least one a cable retention arrangement for retaining said drive cable around at least one of said first and second distal cable transition supports and said second cable transition support.

A surgical instrument, comprising:

• an elongate channel assembly having a distal end and a proximal end, said elongate channel assembly constructed to operably support a staple cartridge assembly therein;
• a knife assembly oriented for travel within said elongate channel assembly;
• at least one cable transition support operably mounted to at least one of said elongate channel assembly and said knife assembly;
• a drive cable operably extending around at least a portion of said at least one cable transition support and interfacing with a cable drive system to drive said knife assembly within said elongate channel assembly;
• and
• means for retaining said drive cable around said at least a portion of said cable transition support.