Patent ID: 8840650

Claim:
A cervical plate locking mechanism, comprising: a plate defining one or more holes configured to receive one or more locking screws, wherein the plate comprises an outer surface, an interior portion, and an inner surface, each of the one or more holes having an inside diameter that is smaller adjacent to the outer surface than at the interior portion, wherein the interior portion comprises a concave surface thereby forming a lip structure associated with each of the one or more holes adjacent to the outer surface, wherein a bottom portion of the lip structure is defined in part by the concave surface; and one or more locking screws, each comprising: a threaded portion configured to pass through one of the one or more holes of the plate and securely engage an anatomical structure; and a head portion comprising a top surface, bottom surface, and a side surface extending between the top surface and the bottom surface, wherein the head portion is attached to the threaded portion configured to securely engage the lip structure associated with one of the one or more holes of the plate, and wherein the plate is configured such that the top surface engages a portion of the concave surface defining the lip structure to securely engage the head portion within a hole of the one or more holes of the plate.