Patent ID: 8292929

Claim:
A spinal stabilization apparatus, comprising: a least two vertebral anchors, each vertebral anchor having a bone attachment portion and a head portion, the head portion including a base portion and a pair of spaced apart legs extending from the base portion to an upper extent of the legs and defining a channel therebetween, each vertebral anchor securable to a respective vertebra of a spine; a flexible assembly removably securable to the vertebral anchors, the flexible assembly comprising: a flexible element; at least two connectors positionable on the flexible element for coupling with the head portions of respective vertebral anchors, wherein each connector includes a first body portion, a second body portion, an intermediate body portion extending between the first body portion and the second body portion, and a bore having a longitudinal axis which extends through each of the first body portion, the second body portion, and the intermediate body portion, the intermediate body portion configured to be received in the channel of a respective vertebral anchor with the first and second body portions positioned exterior to and on opposing sides of the head portion such that the upper extent of the legs are positioned above an upper extent of the connector when the connector is engaged against the base portion; and at least one spacer positionable on the flexible element between adjacent connectors, wherein the spacer includes a bore having a longitudinal axis; wherein the longitudinal axis of the spacer is non-parallel to the longitudinal axis of at least one of the connectors when a face of the spacer is in abutting contact with a face of one of the connectors; wherein the spatial relationship of the connectors are capable of being fixed relative to the flexible element prior to the flexible assembly being coupled to the vertebral anchors.