Patent ID: 7686833

Claim:
A pedicle screw assembly comprising: a pedicle screw having a pair of spaced-apart threaded posts extending along a longitudinal axis thereof and defining a channel therebetween; a ball collet comprising a generally spherical body having a ball collet bore formed therethrough, the ball collet being insertable along the longitudinal axis and into the channel; a rod having first and second ends, the first end of the rod being insertable into said ball collet bore; and a threaded cap configured and dimensioned to mate with the threaded posts, wherein the assembly is adjustable between a disassembled state in which the pedicle screw, ball collet, rod and cap are not secured to one another, and an assembled state in which: the ball collet is seated in the channel; the rod is gripped by an inner surface of the ball collet bore; and the cap is screw-coupled to the post; wherein said pedicle screw comprises a threaded insertion portion and yoke portion, and said yoke portion comprises said threaded posts; wherein said threaded posts are fixed relative to said threaded insertion portion in said disassembled state; wherein the second end of the rod is provided with a partial hemispherical ball member having a convex surface facing an inboard side of the second end; wherein the second end of the rod is provided with a conical surface facing an outboard side of the second end; and wherein the partial hemispherical ball member has a centrally located protrusion having a spherical portion facing an outboard side of the second end and the conical surface tapers to a shaft of the centrally located protrusion.