Patent ID: 6936050

Claim:
A plate system adapted for application to the anterior human cervical spine and for contacting at least a portion of the anterior aspects of at least two cervical vertebral bodies, said plate system comprising: a plate having a longitudinal axis and a length sufficient to span a disc space and overlap portions of at least two adjacent cervical vertebral bodies, said plate having a lower surface for placement against the vertebral bodies and an upper surface opposite said lower surface, said lower surface being concave along a substantial portion of the longitudinal axis of said plate, said plate having a recess; at least two bone screw receiving holes extending through said plate from said upper surface through said lower surface, each of said bone screw receiving holes having a central longitudinal axis and being adapted to receive a bone screw to attach said plate to the cervical spine; and a lock for preventing the inadvertent backing out of the screws from within said bone screw receiving holes, said lock having a threaded shaft member with a longitudinal axis and a cover portion adapted to cover at least a portion of at least two of said bone screw receiving holes, said cover portion of said lock having a non-circular perimeter lying generally in a plane transverse to the longitudinal axis of said threaded shaft member, at least a portion of the perimeter of said cover portion being received in said recess, said threaded shaft member being adapted to engage said plate to secure said cover portion of said lock over a portion of said plate and a portion of at least two bone screw receiving holes.