Patent ID: 7255699

Claim:
A spinal plate assembly, comprising: (a) a spinal plate, said spinal plate having a length, and defining a longitudinal direction along the length, and a transverse direction transverse to the length, said spinal plate further comprising a top surface, a bottom surface opposite the top surface, and a plurality of bone-fastener-receiving apertures; and (b) a transversely movable retaining element mounted to said spinal plate, and extending from a first said one of said bone-fastener-receiving apertures, along the length of said spinal plate to a second said one of said bone-fastener-receiving apertures, said movable retaining element moving transversely from a first position when a bone fastener is driven through a such aperture, into bone structure of a recipient user, and past said retaining element, and subsequently moving transversely back toward the first position and into interfering relationship with such bone fastener, thus to activate a blocking feature of said spinal plate assembly, which blocking feature inhibits the bone fastener withdrawing out of said spinal plate assembly and past said retaining band.