Patent ID: 8366747

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a longitudinal member connectable with a bone portion; a fastener having a longitudinal axis and engageable with the bone portion to connect said longitudinal member to the bone portion; a housing having a first passage configured to receive said longitudinal member, said housing having a second passage with a longitudinal axis extending transverse to said first passage, said fastener extending through an opening in said housing into said second passage and being movable relative to said housing, said longitudinal axis of said fastener being positionable in any one of a plurality of angular positions relative to said longitudinal axis of said second passage; a spacer received in said second passage of said housing and engageable with said fastener and said longitudinal member; a spring member engageable with said spacer to apply a force to prevent relative movement between said fastener and said housing when said longitudinal member is disengaged from said spacer and said spacer engages said fastener, said fastener and said housing being manually movable relative to each other against said force when said longitudinal member is disengaged from said spacer and said member applies said force, said spring member being an arched continuous ring with diametrically opposite sides bent toward each other when said spring member is disengaged from said housing and said spacer; and a clamping mechanism that clamps said longitudinal member, said spacer and said housing to said fastener to prevent movement of said fastener relative to said housing.