Patent ID: 7824432

Claim:
A method comprising: providing a plate of appropriate length adapted to overlap at least an anterior portion of two adjacent vertebral bodies, the plate having at least a first plate segment adapted to be attached to one of the adjacent vertebral bodies to be fused and a second plate segment adapted to be attached to another one of the adjacent vertebral bodies to be fused, the first and second plate segments being in moveable relationship to one another along a longitudinal axis of the plate, the first and second plate segments being configured to couple together in cooperative relationship, the first plate segment and the second plate segment overlapping one another at least in part along the longitudinal axis of the plate, the plate having a fastener for coupling together the first and second plate segments, the fastener engaging at least one of the first and second plate segments; attaching the first plate segment by inserting, to a final installation depth, at least two bone screws through the first plate segment and into one of the vertebral bodies adjacent the disc space to be fused; attaching the second plate segment by inserting, to a final installation depth, at least two bone screws through the second plate segment and into the other of the vertebral bodies adjacent the disc space to be fused; tightening the fastener to one of the first and second plate segments to permit for limited motion of the first and second plate segments relative to one another; and after attaching the first and second plate segments to the vertebral bodies with the bone screws inserted to the final installation depth and with the fastener fully tightened to one of the first and second plate segments, permitting movement of the first and second plate segments relative to one another in a direction toward one another along the longitudinal axis of the plate in response to the natural tendency of the vertebral bodies to move toward one another, and resisting movement of the first and second plate segments in a direction away from one another along the longitudinal axis of the plate.