Patent ID: 6620163
Filing Date: 2003-09-16
Classification: A61B,A61F,Y10S

Abstract:
A plating system, comprising:an anterior cervical plate adapted to be applied to the anterior human cervical spine, said plate having a lower surface adapted to contact the anterior aspect of at least one cervical vertebral body and an upper surface opposite said lower surface, at least one bone screw receiving hole extending from said upper surface through said lower surface, said bone screw receiving hole being adapted to receive at least one bone screw for engaging the cervical vertebral body to attach said plate to the cervical spine; and a bone screw adapted to attach said plate to the cervical vertebral body, said bone screw comprising: a head adapted to block further forward motion of said screw through said bone screw receiving hole of said plate; a tip for insertion into the cervical vertebral body; a shaft between said tip and said head, said shaft having a mid-longitudinal axis and a root diameter at transverse cross sections along the mid-longitudinal axis, said shaft having a first shaft portion proximate said tip and a second shaft portion proximate said head, the root diameter of said first shaft portion being less than the root diameter of said second shaft portion; and a thread along at least a portion of said shaft adapted to engage the cervical vertebral body, said thread having an outer diameter that is generally uniform along at least a substantial portion of each of said first and second shaft portions, said thread having a pitch, said pitch along at least a portion of the length of said first shaft portion being substantially the same as said pitch along at least a portion of the length of said second shaft portion, said thread having opposed side faces angled relative to each other to form a base at said root diameter of said shaft, said base being smaller proximate said second shaft portion than proximate said first shaft portion, said screw being made of a material suitable for implantation into the human skeleton.