A surgical instrument for the use in minimally invasive surgery includes a distal part having an elongated shaft, at least one working element and an actuation rod. The at least one working element is movably mounted on a distal end of the shaft and a first end of the actuation rod is connected to the at least one working element. The instrument further includes a proximal part having an actuator device releasably connected to a second end of the actuation rod. The actuator device is configured to move the at least one working element with respect to the shaft by movement of the actuation rod. A sensor is arranged in the actuator device to measure force and/or strain exerted on the actuator device and to thereby transmit a signal that is representative for the force exerted on the at least one working element.
