Patent ID: 7740649

Claim:
A device for stabilization of adjacent vertebrae of a spine, the device comprising: a rigid bone plate having a rigid plate body with an elongate configuration including a longitudinal axis; a plurality of bone anchor members each having an enlarged head and a shank depending therefrom; a plurality of aligned bores in the rigid bone plate body extending therethrough with the bores generally aligned along the longitudinal axis and being configured for receiving the bone anchor members therethrough; at least one upper dynamized bore of the aligned plurality of bores that is elongated along the longitudinal axis with an upper one of the bone anchor members extending therethrough for being driven into an upper vertebra to allow relative longitudinal movement between the upper bone anchor member and the upper dynamized bore with the upper bone anchor member extending through the upper dynamized bore and driven into the upper vertebra; at least one lower dynamized bore of the aligned plurality of bores that is elongated along the longitudinal axis with a lower one of the bone anchor members extending therethrough for being driven into a lower vertebra to allow relative longitudinal movement between the lower bone anchor member and the lower dynamized bore with the lower bone anchor member extending through the lower dynamized bore and driven into the lower vertebra; at least one intermediate non-dynamized bore of the plurality of aligned bores that is aligned between the upper and lower elongated bores along the longitudinal axis with an intermediate one of the bone anchor members extending therethrough for being driven into an intermediate vertebra between the upper and lower vertebrae, the intermediate non-dynamized bore being configured to fix the bone anchor member extending therethrough and the intermediate vertebra against longitudinal movement relative to the plate with the elongated upper and lower dynamized bores permitting movement of the associated anchor member extending therethrough and the respective upper and lower vertebrae relative to the plate; a lower, curved surface of each of the heads of the bone anchor members; and a curved seating surface in each of the bores against which the lower, curved surface of the bone anchor members engage with the curved, seating surfaces in the upper and lower dynamized bores having a radius of curvature greater than that of the lower, curved surface of the heads of the bone anchor members to allow for the relative longitudinal movement between the bone anchor members and the upper and lower dynamized bores.