Patent ID: 7137983

Claim:
A set of surgical instruments for fusing vertebrae, comprising: supporting elements, each supporting element having a threaded stem that can be screwed into the vertebrae and a head part positioned at an outer end of the threaded stem; a connecting unit fitted between the supporting elements; and a fixating device for bracing together the supporting elements and the connecting unit; wherein the head part of said each supporting element has an accepting opening for receiving and connecting to the connecting unit, the accepting opening being formed by unification of an introductory cleft running from an outer surface of the head part and penetrating into the head part, and a lead-through seat forming a continuation of the introductory cleft, the accepting opening extending into the head part and belling out from there; wherein the head part has a fusion opening that has a first connection piece and ends in the lead-through seat, the fixating device having a tightening body positioned in the fusion opening so that it is movable, and the tightening body has a second connection piece which operates in unison with the first connecting piece; wherein the connecting unit is assembled from a group of elemental connecting strands that can be moved independently of each other; and wherein the introductory cleft of the head part has a width which is the same as a width of a single elemental connection strand, while the lead-trough seat has a splayed out cross-section and a width greater than the width of the introductory cleft so that the lead-through seat simultaneously accepts a plurality of elemental connecting strands, and wherein a main axis of the head part forms an angle in a range of 10–120 degrees with a main plane of the introductory cleft.