Patent ID: 7951171
Filing Date: 2011-05-31
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. A surgical rod fixation assembly, comprising: a surgical screw, having a screw head and a threaded shaft, an inner housing having a tapered outer surface and configured to hold the screw head within the inner housing while permitting the screw shaft to extend outside of the inner housing, the inner housing also being configured to releasably hold a portion of a surgical rod, the wall of said inner housing having a compressible slit, a force transfer element having an under surface and an upper surface and being sized and configured to fit within said inner housing, said force transfer element being positioned above said screw head with said under surface being in direct gripping contact with said screw head and said upper surface defining drive supports configured to interact with a tool, said force transfer element being capable of on and off axis translation of rotational motion to said screw head operative to tighten or loosen the screw into bone, and an outer housing having a tapered inner surface complementary to the taper of said inner housing, said outer housing being sized and configured to be circumferentially and slidably positioned around the inner housing, wherein the size of said compressible slit is capable of being decreased by a compressing force exerted as said outer housing is slidably positioned along the longitudinal axis of said inner housing so as to securely hold at least said surgical rod in a releasably locked position relative to said inner housing.