Patent ID: 6932820

Claim:
Apparatus for postoperatively compressing a bone graft between adjacent vertebrae, comprising: a spinal fixation device including first and second discrete plates each having a pair of generally laterally aligned openings for cooperation with fasteners to secure the plates to respective vertebrae on opposite sides of the bone graft; said first and second plates having respective first and second sets of interlocking elements cooperable with one another to enable progressive postoperative advancement of the plates toward one another and to lock the plates to one another in a plurality of advanced positions precluding movement of the plates away from one another in each said advanced position for progressively compressing the bone graft between the adjacent vertebrae, one of said first and second plates including a cantilevered leg mounting one of said first and second sets of interlocking elements for flexing movement toward and away from another of said first and second sets of interlocking elements to enable the progressive advancement and locking of said plates to one another.