Patent ID: 7887537

Claim:
A capture member for retaining a fixation element of an external fixation system, the capture member comprising: a base comprising a groove disposed along a side of the base and a base track disposed substantially perpendicular to the groove; a head comprising a wedge disposed along a side of the head in registry with the groove of the base and a head track slidably coupled to the base track, wherein the wedge and groove of the head and the base form a channel configured to receive a fixation element; and the base and head tracks slidably coupling the base and the head and holding the fixation element in the channel formed between the base and the head, the capture member further comprising an elastic element acting on at least one of the head and the base such that as a force perpendicular to a fixation element is exerted against the channel formed by the base and the head, the elastic element compresses until the elastic element exerts a force in a direction perpendicular to the fixation element that is equal and opposite to the force exerted against the channel, thereby holding the fixation element positioned within the channel in place, and wherein at least one of the groove and the wedge includes splines.