Bending instrument for a surgical element

A bending instrument for a surgical element having a plurality of regularly spaced peak regions and a plurality of regularly spaced valley regions, wherein the bending instrument comprises:

• two branches which are pivotable relative to one another;
• a first counter member comprising a pointing profile adapted to engage a valley region of the surgical element;
• a second counter member comprising a concave profile adapted to engage a peak region of the surgical element
• a bending punch for co-operation with the first and second counter members in order to bend the surgical element therebetween upon engaging a point of the surgical element between said engaged peak region and said engaged valley region;
• and
• an actuating device for the bending punch, adapted to convert an actuating movement of the branches into a movement of the bending punch in a direction towards a region between the first and second counter members.

A bending instrument for an axially extending bone plate, having a plurality of spaced peak regions and a plurality of spaced valley regions, wherein the bending instrument comprises:

• first and second arms which are pivotable relative to one another, the first arm having a first counter member thereon comprising a pointed profile adapted to engage one valley region of the surgical element;
• the second arm having a second counter member thereon comprising a concave profile adapted to engage one peak region of the surgical element;
• a first linkage system having a first link pivotally connected to the first arm and a second link pivotally connected to the second arm;
• a bending punch connected to the first and second links for co-operation with the first and second counter members moveable by the first linkage system in order to bend the surgical element therebetween upon engaging a point of the surgical element between the engaged peak region and the engaged valley region;
• the first linkage system adapted to convert an actuating movement of the branches into a movement of the bending punch in a direction towards a region between the first and second counter members;
• a second linkage system having a third link pivotally connected to the first arm and a fourth link pivotally connected to the second arm, the third and fourth links being pivotally connected to each other;
• and
• a first bending structure connected to the third link of the second linkage system and a second bending structure connected to the fourth link of the second linkage system.