Patent ID: 9326794
Filing Date: 2016-05-03
CPC Classification: A61B,A61F

Claim Text:
1. An elongated rod-shaped implant element comprising: a longitudinal axis and an outer surface; a first length of a flexible section extending along the longitudinal axis, the first length having a helical slotted opening in the outer surface of the rod-shaped implant element that extends inward to a depth spaced from the longitudinal axis a sufficient distance such that a central portion extending along substantially the entire first length of the flexible section is left in place, wherein, in a cross-sectional plane that extends along and includes the longitudinal axis, a width of the slotted opening at the outer surface along a direction of the longitudinal axis is less than a width of a solid portion that is between two adjacent turns of the helical slotted opening at the outer surface along the direction of the longitudinal axis, wherein the central portion and the flexible section are a continuous one-piece element.