Patent ID: 7621941

Claim:
A device for stabilizing bones comprising: upper and lower stabilizing parts; a bone-fixing element having a central axis, an anchoring part for attachment to bone, and a head part; wherein: the upper and lower stabilizing parts are disposed axially one behind the other, the upper and lower stabilizing parts each including a cavity; and first and second clamping elements disposed within the cavities of the upper and lower stabilizing parts, respectively, the first and second clamping elements including a central borehole for receiving at least a portion of the head part of the bone fixation element and an outer curvate surface for rotatably contacting an inner curvate surface of the cavities so that each of the upper and lower stabilizing parts are rotatable with respect to the bone fixation element, the first and second clamping elements being elastically deformable transversely to the central axis; a lower wedge member axially receivable within the central borehole of the second clamping element so that axial displacement of the lower wedge member with respect to the second clamping element fixes the position of the lower stabilizing part with respect to the bone fixation element; an upper wedge member axially receivable within the central borehole of the first clamping element so that axial displacement of the upper wedge member with respect to the first clamping element fixes the position of the upper stabilizing part with respect to the bone fixation element; and a tensioning device operatively coupled to the bone fixation element such that rotation of the tensioning device axially displaces the upper wedge member; and a threaded spacer located between the lower and upper wedge members such that rotation of the threaded spacer axially displaces the lower wedge member.