Patent ID: 8388658

Claim:
An assembly for dynamic stabilization of a spine, comprising: a first bone anchoring element having a first bone engaging section extending along a first axis and a first coupling section, the first coupling section including a base section and two upstanding arms extending from said base section and having a first longitudinal channel defined between the upstanding arms and of at least a first length extending generally transverse to the first axis; a second bone anchoring element spaced from the first bone anchoring element; an elongate rod; an elastomeric sleeve disposed around said rod, the sleeve comprising a plurality of spaced apart recesses extending substantially parallel to the first axis; a plurality of mounting collars each being positioned in one of the recesses such that an inner surface of the mounting collar engages an outer surface of the sleeve; and a locking member engageable with said upstanding arms and said rod, wherein the rod is slidably mountable to the first bone anchoring element via at least two of said collars and the rod is supported by the second bone anchoring element, and wherein the rod remains slidably mountable until said locking member is engaged with said sleeve or at least one of the mounting collars.