Patent ID: 7578833

Claim:
An apparatus for use in retaining bone bodies in a desired spatial relationship, the apparatus including: an elongated member for extending adjacent to the bone bodies; a coupling member for engagement with and gripping of the elongated member; the coupling member including first and second clamp portions, each clamp portion having a first, curved segment extending partially around the elongate member for retaining the elongate member and a second, flat segment having a elongate aperture extending therethrough; a monolithic bone fastener having a threaded lower attaching portion for attaching the bone fastener to one of the bone bodies and an upper portion, the upper portion including a hexagonally-shaped outer circumference for engagement by a tool, a concave spherical recess located at the top-most end of the monolithic bone fastener and located radially within the hexagonally-shaped outer circumference, and a threaded recess extending from and being relatively below the concave spherical recess; an annular adjusting member, separate from the coupling member and the bone fastener, having a convex engaging surface complementary to the recess at the top-most end of the monolithic bone fastener located on a lower portion of the adjusting member and extending into the concave recess radially within the hexagonally-shaped outer circumference, a flat engaging surface located on an upper portion of the annular adjusting member and engaged with the flat segment of one of the clamp portions of the coupling member with the coupling member spaced away from the monolithic bone fastener and the elongated member also spaced away from the monolithic bone fastener, and a conical opening extending through the adjusting member; and a threaded securing fastener including a first portion extending through the elongate apertures of the flat segments of the first and second clamp portions, extending through the opening in the adjusting member and extending in threaded engagement into the threaded recess of the bone fastener, and a second portion bearing against the flat segment of the other of the clamp portions of the coupling member and being sized to at least partially nest into a height of the coupling member, the securing fastener may be located anywhere along the elongate slot to provide force to the coupling member cause the first and second clamp portions to retain the elongate member relative to the bone fastener, including a height location relative to the bone fastener, without the elongate member or the coupling member engaging the bone fastener and without structure extending beyond the height location of the elongate member.