Patent ID: 7935135

Claim:
A retainer for use with a bone anchor and a connecting rod, the retainer comprising: a) a body having a longitudinal axis defined between a first end and a second end, the body including: i) a first receiving region located adjacent to the first end, the first receiving region being configured to receive a connecting rod; ii) a second receiving region located adjacent to the second end, the second receiving region being configured to receive a bone anchor; and iii) at least one flexible element integrally formed with the body and positioned between the first receiving region and the second receiving region, the flexible element having an upper surface facing the first receiving region and a lower surface facing the second receiving region, the flexible element interconnected to the body such that the flexible element is cantilevered from the body, the flexible element being configured to flex toward the second receiving region when a connecting rod is secured within the first receiving region, the upper surface being a contoured surface having a convex profile when viewed along a central axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and a concave profile when viewed along an axis perpendicular to both the central axis and the longitudinal axis, the contoured surface configured to guide the connecting rod toward the longitudinal axis.