Patent ID: 8361127

Claim:
A fixing device for bones comprising: a plate having a recess passing completely through the plate along a first axis, the first axis pointing in both a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction, wherein the recess is elongated in a direction transverse to the first axis and the recess has a first area and a second area that adjoin each other in the direction transverse to the first axis; a connecting element defining a bore passing completely through the connecting element along a bore axis, the connecting element having a wall around the bore and a projection extending radially outward from the wall relative to the bore axis; a bone screw configured to be screwed into a bone, the bone screw having a tip configured to pass completely through the recess of the plate; wherein the second area of the recess of the plate is sized to permit insertion of the projection of the connecting element completely through the plate in the first direction of the first axis and wherein the first area of the recess of the plate is sized to prevent removal of the projection completely through the plate in the second direction of the first axis; wherein, after the projection of the connecting element is inserted completely through the recess in the first direction of the first axis, the wall of the connecting element is movable in the recess in the direction transverse to the first axis, from a first position in the second area wherein the connecting element is completely removable from the recess in the second direction of the first axis, to a second position in the first area wherein the element is not removable from the recess in the second direction of the first axis.