A surgical inserter for use in inserting an implant into a vertebral space may include: (a) a handle； (b) a gripper having one end attached to the handle and a second end having a pair of arms； and (c) a grip activator having an opening that threadingly receives the gripper. The grip activator can be rotated in a first direction with respect to the gripper to cause the arms to move toward each other to grip the inserter and in a second direction with respect to the gripper to cause the arms to move away from each other to release the inserter. In one embodiment a compression force activator is used to deploy the implant and in another embodiment a tension force activator is used to deploy the implant.
