Patent ID: 7048737

Claim:
The method of affixing a bone flap to an adjacent cranial zone, that includes a) providing first and second caps between which portions of the cranial bone and bone flap are to be gripped, b) providing a mounting post located to allow relative cap movement lengthwise of an axis defined by the post, c) providing at least the first cap with peripheral petals that are spaced apart about said axis and radially outwardly of a guide defined by a central body portion of the cap, whereby the petals are individually and resiliently movable relative to said central body portion in directions generally parallel to said axis, and in response to said gripping, d) said guide having a thin frusto-conical side wall tapering toward and adapted to penetrate gaps of different widths between said bone flap and proximate cranial bone, said thin tapering side wall locally engaging edges of said bone flap and of said cranial bone, and there being a thin annular lower wall of the guide integral with said tapering side wall and projecting toward the post to form a central opening for passing the post, and there also being at least three tabs confined at and proximate said central opening, said tabs having narrowed flexure zones integral with said lower wall and heads spaced about the post and extending proximate the post and angled toward an interior void bounded by said tapering side wall, for interfering engagement with serrations on the post, as the cap is tightened axially along the post, said tabs everywhere confined below the upper half of said void, e) relatively displacing the caps toward one another whereby cap petals are engaged with at least the bone flap or the adjacent cranial bone, and to conformingly retain the caps including said petals to opposite sides of the flap and the cranial bone, f) tightening the caps relatively toward one another into positions wherein relative separation of the caps is blocked, petals are resiliently flexed, and post extent between the caps is tensioned, and wherein the second cap is pulled in an upward direction as the first cap is tightened downwardly.