Patent ID: 7862597

Claim:
A spinal plating system, comprising: an elongate plate including a length extending along a longitudinal axis adapted to span a space between adjacent vertebrae, said plate including a first connection portion attachable to a first one of the adjacent vertebrae and a second connection portion attachable to a second one of the adjacent vertebrae, and an intermediate portion extending between said first and second connection portions, said intermediate portion including a visualization opening extending therethrough for visualizing the space when said plate is attached to the adjacent vertebrae, said intermediate portion including a first member along one side of said visualization opening and a second member along the opposite side of said visualization opening, said first and second members each including a concavely curved outer side surface defining an outer most one of opposite sides of said plate and a concavely curved inner side surface opposite said respective outer side surface, said inner side surfaces defining respective ones of opposite sides of said visualization opening that extend along said longitudinal axis, wherein said first and second members each include a maximum width transversely to said longitudinal axis from said inner side surface to said outer side surface thereof that is uniform along a length of said visualization opening, said visualization opening including a minimum width transversely to said longitudinal axis between said opposite sides thereof, said minimum width of said visualization opening being greater than said maximum widths of said first and second members combined, wherein each of said connection portions includes a pair of openings each for receiving a bone anchor therethrough to attach said connection portion to the respective adjacent vertebrae, wherein each of said connection portions includes an aperture positioned between said pair of openings, wherein said aperture is sized and configured to receive a washer having a tapered portion configured to engage a surface of each said bone anchor positioned in each of said pair of openings, wherein a retaining device engageable to said plate locks said washer to said plate thereby fixedly securing said bone anchors in said pair of openings and preventing said pair of bone anchors from backing out of said plate.