US Patent 10194988 Torque limiting instrument

A torque limiting instrument is disclosed configured to drive a shaft to rotate in a select direction in response to an applied torque until the applied torque reaches a predetermined threshold. Thus, when the torque limiting instrument drives a bone screw into bone, the bone screw is advanced into the bone until the torque applied to the torque limiting instrument reaches the predetermined threshold, at which point the torque limiting instrument will no longer communicate the applied torque to the bone screw.