Patent ID: 8778001

Claim:
A cervical plate with a screw back out prevention device, comprising: a cervical plate; the cervical plate having at least one screw hole through which at least one screw extends to anchor the cervical plate to a vertebra; the cervical plate having at least one elongated channel with at least one elongated engaging edge; and a cover plate having at least one plate edge, the at least one plate edge extending over a portion of a screw head of the at least one screw; the cover plate having an elongated locking extension with at least one locking edge at a distal end of the elongated locking extension, and the at least one locking edge and the at least one elongated channel of the cervical plate having an elastic connection with one another, wherein the cervical plate is attached to the vertebra using the at least one screw and the elongated locking extension is inserted into the elongated channel such that the at least one elongated engaging edge and the at least one locking edge elastically engage and hold the cover plate such that the at least one plate edge of the cover plate is substantially adjacent the portion of the screw head of the at least one screw to prevent the at least one screw from backing out; wherein the at least one elongated engaging edge is a lip and the at least one locking edge is a shoulder.