Patent ID: 8728130

Claim:
A plate system for implanting into a patient comprising: a screw having a screw head, said screw being adapted to be screwed into bone of the patient; a plate having at least one wall that defines at least one aperture for receiving said screw; and said screw head comprising at least one member for restricting or preventing said screw from moving in an axial direction; wherein said at least one member is an elastic or resilient pawl having one end that is integral with said screw head; said plate further comprising a continuous and endless channel in communication with said at least one wall for receiving at least a portion of said at least one member and for restricting or preventing said screw from moving in said axial direction, said continuous and endless channel being at least partially defined by an interior wall that is below a top surface of said plate, said elastic or resilient pawl having an upper most pawl surface, at least a portion of which becomes generally opposed to and situated below said interior wall after said at least a portion of said elastic or resilient pawl is received in said continuous and endless channel, thereby facilitating preventing said screw from withdrawing from said plate, each of said upper most pawl surfaces and said interior wall lying between a top surface and bottom surface of said plate.