Patent ID: 8002810

Claim:
An apparatus for treating a spinal disorder, comprising: a spinal fixation device including first and second plates each having a pair of generally laterally aligned openings for cooperation with fasteners to secure the first and second plates to adjacent vertebrae, the first and second plates each having first and second sets of lateral interlocking elements cooperable with one another to enable progressive postoperative advancement of the plates toward one another and to lock the first and second plates to one another in a plurality of advanced positions precluding movement of the first and second plates away from one another in each the advanced position for progressively compressing a bone graft between the adjacent vertebrae, one of the first and second plates including a leg mounting one of the first and second sets of interlocking elements for flexing movement toward and away from another of the first and second sets of interlocking elements to enable the progressive advancement and locking of the first and second plates to one another.