Patent ID: 6592586
Filing Date: 2003-07-15
Classification: A61B,A61F,Y10S

Abstract:
An anterior cervical plate system for engaging at least three vertebral bodies of a human cervical spine along the anterior aspect of the spine, said device comprising:a plate having a generally rectangular configuration with a first end, a second end, sides, and a length sufficient to span a disc space and overlap portions of at least three adjacent cervical vertebral bodies, said plate having: rounded lobes at each corner of said generally rectangular configuration and having rounded lobes on said sides between said first and second ends; a lower surface for placement against the cervical vertebral bodies and an upper surface opposite to said lower surface; a bi-concave curvature for conforming to the anterior aspect of the cervical spine in lordosis, said bi-concave curvature having a longitudinal concave curvature along the longitudinal axis of said plate and a transverse concave curvature along the transverse axis of said plate; a plurality of bone screw receiving holes extending through said plate from said upper surface to said lower surface and having a reduced diameter portion near said lower surface, a respective one of said plurality of bone screw receiving holes located at each of said rounded lobes such that said plate has a first pair of said bone screw receiving holes located at said first end of said plate corresponding to a first of the adjacent vertebral bodies, a second pair of said bone screw receiving holes corresponding to a second of the adjacent vertebral bodies, and a third pair of said bone screw receiving holes corresponding to a third of the adjacent vertebral bodies; and a plurality of locking elements each adapted to lock to said plate only one each a bone screw placed in said bone screw receiving holes, each of said plurality of locking elements coaxially engageable in a respective one of said bone screw receiving holes to lock one of the bone screws to said plate, each of said locking elements having a bottom surface and a top surface with a depression for engaging a tool used to lock and unlock said locking element to said plate, said bottom surface configured to fit over the bone screw and bear against the bone screw, each of said locking elements having an outer perimeter contacting at least a portion of the perimeter of a respective one of said bone screw receiving holes, said locking elements each having a through-hole passing through said top surface and said bottom surface, said through-hole having a central longitudinal axis coaxial with a central longitudinal axis of a respective one of said bone screw receiving holes.