Patent ID: 8852238

Claim:
In a minimally invasive implant system for use in immobilizing vertebral bodies, the combination comprising: a pair of implants, adapted to be secured to adjacent vertebral bodies, each implant having a pair of elongated posts extending upwardly along a longitudinal axis from a bottom support surface, the posts and the bottom support surface defining a transverse opening for receiving a stabilizing rod, at least a portion of the posts having internal threads; a pair of caps, wherein each cap comprises a top strut and a bottom strut and an external member connecting the top strut and the bottom strut, wherein the external member has an inside contour permitting passage therethrough of the posts, and wherein the top strut has an upper pair of openings therethrough permitting passage therethrough of said posts, and the bottom strut has a lower pair of openings therethrough permitting passage therethrough of said posts, each cap having an externally threaded set screw located between the top strut and the bottom strut and located interiorly with respect to the external member, wherein the top strut prevents passage of the set screw past the top strut, wherein the bottom strut prevents passage of the set screw past the bottom strut, and wherein the external member prevents passage of the set screw from the interior of the external member to the exterior of the external member, the set screw being free to rotate with respect to the cap, the externally threaded set screw external threads being dimensioned to engage the implant internal threads, whereby rotation of the set screws will advance the caps along the threaded portion of the implant posts toward the support surface; and a fixation rod having proximal and distal ends, the proximal end being pivotally mounted on one of the caps, wherein the fixation rod remains mounted on the one cap during and after implantation.