Patent ID: 7922748

Claim:
A pedicle screw assembly comprising: a screw having a threaded shaft and a head including a threaded convex portion; a polyaxial body coupled to the screw and having a channel proximate a first end of the body adapted to receive a spine rod therein and a longitudinal bore extending into the body from a second end of the body, an angular orientation of the screw relative to the body being adjustable in a first configuration; a retainer ring mounted on edge of the second end of the polyaxial body spaced from the first end of the body, the retainer ring including a threaded opening extending through the retainer ring; and a bushing captured in the longitudinal bore of the body intermediate the channel and the retainer ring, the bushing being positioned in the longitudinal bore of the body from the second end of the body wherein the bushing is sized to be positioned within the longitudinal bore prior to the retainer ring being fixedly mounted on the edge of the second end of the polyaxial body and is not removable from the longitudinal bore after the retainer ring is fixedly mounted on the edge of the second end of the polyaxial body; wherein the threaded convex portion of the head of the screw is sized to be threadably advanced through the threaded opening of the retainer ring; wherein the screw is selectively coupled to the body by passing the head through the threaded opening of the retainer ring to position the head between the bushing and the retainer ring, the body being selectively removable from the screw by passing the screw head through the threaded opening of the retainer ring; wherein the body is fixed relative to the screw head in a second configuration when the spine rod forces the bushing onto the screw head; wherein in a first assembly position in which the screw is coupled to the body, the screw extends through the opening of the retainer ring with the threaded convex portion of the head of the screw not threadedly engaged with the threaded opening of the retainer ring, and wherein in a second assembly position in which the screw is coupled to the body, the threaded convex portion of the head of the screw is threadedly engaged with the threaded opening of the retainer ring.