Patent ID: 9241740
Filing Date: 2016-01-26
CPC Classification: A61B,A61F

Claim Text:
1. A surgical stabilizer plate, comprising a plate portion for stabilizing a human or animal spine by being placed ventrally of the spinal column and being affixed to two or more different vertebral bodies, the plate portion comprising a proximal side and a distal side, the distal side being adapted to lie against the vertebral bodies, the plate portion comprising a plurality of plate openings accessible from the proximal side, and comprising, for each plate opening, a fastening portion, said fastening portion: being integral with the plate portion; extending from the plate opening to the distal side, at an angle to the plate opening; adapted to be anchored in one of the vertebral bodies; comprising a sheath portion with a longitudinal opening that is accessible from the proximal side and opens into the plate opening, whereby the plate opening forms a mouth of the longitudinal opening; and with at least one hole that reaches from the longitudinal opening to an outside; wherein the plate portion is dimensioned to lie against an anterior or lateral side of the spinal column, with at least one of the fastening portions extending into a first one of the vertebral bodies and at least an other one of the fastening portions extending into a second one of the vertebral bodies, the stabilizer plate further comprising, per fastening portion, a thermoplastic element inserted or insertable in the longitudinal opening and capable of being liquefied by energy acting on the thermoplastic element, wherein the hole is positioned so that liquefied thermoplastic material is pressable through the hole into bone tissue of the vertebral body in which the fastening portion is to be anchored, wherein the at least one fastening portion comprises a stabilizing structure capable of absorbing mechanical loads on the stabilizer plate, wherein the plate portion is non-planar.