Patent ID: 8870932

Claim:
A bone screw retention system for retaining bone screws therein, and releasing bone screws therefrom, comprising: a plate that defines a plurality of transversely extending bores configured for receiving bone screws and at least one retention member cavity corresponding to each bore, each bore having a longitudinal axis, wherein portions of the plate define at least one transversely extending pin bore extending from a portion of the retention member cavity; at least one elastically deformable retention member positioned therein each retention member cavity, the elastically deformable retention member comprising: a body having two legs extending therefrom the body, wherein portions of at least one of the legs extend into an upper region of the bore; a retaining pin extending through a portion of the body and configured for receipt into the pin bore to affix at least a portion of the body to a portion of the plate, wherein, when the retaining pin is positioned therein the pin bore, the body is substantially restricted from moving along the longitudinal axis; and wherein a portion of the at least one leg is movable between a first relaxed position and a second expanded position, wherein, in the first relaxed position, a portion of the at least one leg extends inwardly substantially transverse to and toward the longitudinal axis of the respective bore and into the upper region of the bore, which decreases an effective inner diameter of the upper region of the bore, and wherein, in the second expanded position, portions of the at least one leg are medially biased outwardly away from the longitudinal axis of the bore towards an outer wall of the upper region of the bore, which increases the effective inner diameter of the upper region of the bore, permitting a bone screw positioned within the bore to exit the bore, and in the first relaxed position, a bone screw positioned within the bore is substantially prevented from exiting the bore by portions of the at least one leg.