Patent ID: 8414616

Claim:
A vertebral cleat for being secured to vertebral bone, the vertebral cleat comprising: a base member having a superior surface and an inferior surface; a hole extending through the base member for receiving an anchor member therethrough; an elongate keel portion connected to and extending from the inferior surface of the base member and having a cutting edge thereon; a projection portion integral to the elongate keel and extending from the inferior surface of the base member in an axial direction and centrally relative to the elongate keel, the projection portion having a base end connected to the base member inferior surface and a tip end extending past the cutting edge of the keel portion and configured to penetrate the bone prior to the elongate keel portion to allow the base member to be rotated thereabout after penetration of the tip end of the projection portion for positioning of the base member hole in a desired location relative to the bone; the cutting edge of the elongate keel having either a serrated or knife edge configuration that is the same on either side of the projection portion for penetrating the bone when an impact force is applied to the base member superior surface; opposite side surfaces of the elongate keel portion, with the elongate keel portion having a thickness between the opposite side surfaces that is narrower than the base end of the projection portion; and a curved surface of the projection portion extending thereabout tapering in the axial direction and sized so that the projection portion extends beyond the keel side surfaces from the cutting edge of the keel portion to the projection base end.