Instrument and method for the insertion and alignment of an intervertebral implant

A pin guide, comprising:

• a) a substantially planar support having first and second opposed surfaces, the support having a superior bore and an inferior bore extending between the first and second opposed surfaces;
• b) an intervertebral spacer formed on and projecting from the first surface of the support between the superior and inferior bores and configured to extend into an intervertebral space between adjacent superior and inferior vertebrae, the spacer having a superior surface extending from the first surface of the support inferior to the superior bore and an opposed, inferior surface extending from the first surface of the support superior to the inferior bore;
• and
• c) a plurality of elongate, parallel guide tubes extending from the second surface of the support, wherein the plurality of guide tubes comprise a superior guide tube defining a lumen aligned with the superior bore of the support and an inferior guide tube spaced apart from the superior guide tube and aligned with the inferior bore of the support, and wherein the parallel guide tubes are fixed relative to the intervertebral spacer and sized to align pins inserted into the guide tubes in a substantially parallel orientation in the superior and inferior vertebrae when the spacer is positioned within the intervertebral space such that the first surface of the support abuts the adjacent vertebrae and the superior surface of the spacer engages the superior vertebra and the inferior surface of the spacer engages the inferior vertebra.