A tab is removably connected to a surgical screw having a head. The tab has a longitudinal slot for receiving a connecting rod therethrough for connection to the screw head. The tab has a notch for enlarging a portion of the slot to facilitate the passage of the rod through the tab. A plurality of tabs can be aligned to enable a connecting rod to pass therethrough and be connected to a plurality of screw heads. The length of the enlarged slot portion is less than the length of the longitudinal slot.
