Patent ID: 7699879

Claim:
An orthopedic implant comprising: a bone plate having a top surface and an opposed bottom surface, said bottom surface for lying adjacent to bone, said bone plate including an opening therethrough from said top surface to said bottom surface, said opening having an area of a first dimension; a biodegradable restricting component disposed at least partially in said plate opening, said restricting component defining an opening within and through said area, said opening of said restricting component having a second dimension smaller than said first dimension; and a fastener having a portion configured to anchor to bone, said fastener portion extending through said opening of said restricting component and said opening of said bone plate, said fastener portion having a width dimension that is substantially the same as the second dimension of the opening of said restricting component, said width dimension being smaller than said first dimension of said area; wherein at the time of implantation said restricting component inhibits motion of said fastener with respect to said plate in a first direction, and an edge of said opening of said bone plate inhibits motion of said fastener in a second direction opposite from the first direction; and wherein after said restricting component has degraded, said fastener remains restricted from motion in the second direction, but is uninhibited from motion within said opening in said bone plate in the first direction.