Patent ID: 7112202

Claim:
A method for stabilizing at least two adjacent vertebral bodies in the cervical human spine, comprising the steps of: providing a plate of appropriate length adapted to overlap at least a portion of two adjacent cervical vertebral bodies anteriorly, said plate having at least a first plate segment adapted to be attached to one of the adjacent vertebral bodies to be fused and a second plate segment adapted to be attached to another one of the adjacent vertebral bodies to be fused, the first and second plate segments being in moveable relationship to one another along a longitudinal axis of the plate, the first and second plate segments fastened together by a fastener being detachably attached to at least one of the first and second plate segments so as to permit assembly of the plate segments by the surgeon and complete uncoupling of the first and second plate segments from one another; inserting at least a first bone screw through the first plate segment of the plate and into one of the vertebral bodies adjacent the disc space to be fused; inserting at least a second bone screw through the second plate segment and into the other of the vertebral bodies adjacent the disc space to be fused; locking at least one of the bone screws with at least one bone screw lock adapted to lock to the plate only a single bone screw; and permitting movement of the first and second plate segments attached to the adjacent vertebral bodies relative to one another in response to movement of the adjacent vertebral bodies.