two cutting jaws 2 3 which are mounted for pivotal movement relative to each other the cutting jaws 2 3 are engaged by an arm 4 and 5 respectively the arms 4 5 are also pivotably connected to each other and also pivotably connected to the cutting jaws 2 and 3 respectively so that upon pivotal movement of the two arms 4 5 relative to each other the two cutting jaws 2 3 are also pivoted relative to each other about their common pivot bearing the two cutting jaws 2 3 are pressed apart by leaf shaped spring elements 6 7 arranged between the two arms 4 5 so that upon pressing together the two arms 4 5 the arms 4 5 have to be pressed together against the force of these spring elements 6 7 accordingly the arms 4 5 are normally in the open position in which they are maximally spaced from each other and as a result the cutting jaws 2 3 are also in an open position in which cutting edges 8 9 on the cutting jaws 2 3 are maximally spaced from each other such a severing instrument 1 in the form of cutting pliers is known per se and can be used for severing portions of tissue or implant parts or the like in the embodiment shown in the drawings this severing instrument 1 is used to sever and thereby shorten metallic pins 10 11 which extend through an intervertebral implant 12 after implantation into the intervertebral space between two adjacent vertebral bodies 13 14 of the intervertebral implant 12 shown in the drawings it is essentially the pins 10 11 that are of importance and therefore the further construction of the intervertebral implant 12 will not be explained in greater detail.