Patent ID: 9486324
Filing Date: 2016-11-08
CPC Classification: A61B,A61F

Claim Text:
1. A method for stabilizing first and second adjacent bone portions, the method comprising the steps of: providing a spacer; providing a stabilizer, the spacer and stabilizer configured to be movable guidingly, one relative to the other, between a pre-assembly relationship and an operative relationship; and placing the spacer and stabilizer into an operative relationship with the first and second adjacent bone portions by: a) placing the spacer between the first and second adjacent bone portions so that a one surface on the first bone portion faces another surface on the spacer; b) directing the stabilizer into the first bone portion; and c) changing the spacer and stabilizer from their pre-assembly relationship into their operative relationship, whereby as an incident of the spacer and stabilizer being changed from their pre-assembly relationship into the operative relationship with each other and the first and second bone portions, the spacer, stabilizer and first bone portion cooperate to cause the one surface on the first bone portion and another surface on the spacer to be urged towards each other.