Patent ID: 8114141

Claim:
A dynamic bone fixation element for coupling a load carrier to a patient's bone or bone fragments, the dynamic bone fixation element comprising: a bone engaging component for engaging the bone or bone fragments, the bone engaging component including an outer surface, a proximal end, a distal end, and a lumen extending at least partially from the proximal end of the bone engaging component, the lumen defining an inner surface; and a load carrier engaging component including a head portion for engaging the load carrier and a shaft portion extending from the head portion, the shaft portion having a proximal end, a distal end and an outer surface, the shaft portion being sized and configured to at least partially extend into the lumen formed in the bone engaging component, wherein at least a portion of the shaft portion has a diameter D S and at least a portion of the lumen has a diameter D L , the diameter D L being greater than the diameter D S so that at least a portion of the outer surface of the shaft portion is spaced away from at least a portion of the inner surface of the lumen, the distal end of the shaft portion is coupled to the lumen at a position distally of the proximal end of the bone engaging component so that the head portion moves with respect to the bone engaging component, the bone engaging component includes a plurality of threads formed on the outer surface thereof for engaging the bone or bone fragments, the outer surface of the shaft portion is welded to the inner surface of the lumen by welding in-between adjacent threads formed on the outer surface of the bone engaging component.