Patent ID: 7722646

Claim:
A spinal implant apparatus affixable to bone comprising: a coupling element including a first compression surface; a screw, the screw having a head with a curvate portion and a shaft extending from the curvate portion, wherein the head of the screw provides the first compression surface and the coupling element further includes a seat for receiving the head such that the shaft protrudes from the coupling element, wherein the seat is defined by a bore in the coupling element and further includes a socket defined by a curvate volume adjacent the bore, that corresponds to the curvate proximal portion such that the head nests in the socket and the shaft protrudes from the bore; and a locking element rotatably disposed in the coupling element and selectively rotatable through a plurality of positions including an unlocked position and a locked position, the locking element being rotatably disposed in the coupling element in each position of the plurality of positions such that, when the locking element is in the unlocked position, the head of the screw is movable in the socket, the shaft of the screw is positionable relative to the coupling element, and an opening of the locking element presents a rod-receiving channel; and when the locking element is in the locked position, the head of the screw is fixed in the socket, the shaft of the screw is fixed relative to the coupling element, and a rod disposed within the rod-receiving channel is fixed relative to the coupling element wherein, as the locking element rotates from the unlocked position to the locked position, a confrontational surface of the locking element increasingly engages the first compression surface such that opposing walls of the rod-receiving channel are compressed towards each other and increasingly engage the rod for fixing the rod relative to the coupling element.