Patent ID: 7704271

Claim:
A method to stabilize the movement of vertebral bones of a subject, comprising: identifying vertebral bone levels to be stabilized, wherein at least one vertebral bone exhibits undesirable movement in at least one plane; identifying a stable vertebral bone level and rigidly affixing at least a first bone fastener onto the stable vertebral bone level; attaching a first segment of an interconnecting member onto a receiving portion of the first bone fastener, wherein the first bone fastener includes a deployable locking mechanism that reversibly advances from a first position to a second position, wherein the first segment of the interconnecting member is movable relative to the receiving portion of the first bone fastener when the locking mechanism is in the first position and wherein the first segment of the interconnecting member is rigidly affixed to the receiving portion of the first bone fastener when the locking mechanism is fully advanced to the second position; extending the interconnecting member outward from the first bone fastener so as to form a cantilever construct, wherein the interconnecting member is rigidly immobilized within at least one predetermined plane; affixing a second segment of the interconnecting member to an interconnecting member receiving portion of a second bone fastener; attaching at least the second bone fastener onto a vertebral bone to be stabilized, wherein the second bone fastener includes at least a bone engagement member, an interconnecting member receiving portion and a deployable locking mechanism that reversibly advances from a first position to a second position, wherein the second segment of the interconnecting member is movable relative to the receiving portion of the second bone fastener when the locking mechanism is in the first position and wherein the second segment of the interconnecting member is rigidly affixed to the receiving portion of the second bone fastener when the locking mechanism is fully advanced to the second position, and wherein the bone engagement member remains movable relative to the interconnecting member when the locking mechanism is in any position; fully advancing the locking mechanism of the first bone fastener to the second position; fully advancing the locking mechanism of the second bone fastener to the second position.