Patent ID: 7070599

Claim:
A bone support assembly, comprising: (a) a bone support plate, said bone support plate comprising a top surface, a bottom surface opposite the top surface and adapted to engage bone structure of a recipient, first and second ends, and a plurality of bone-fastener-receiving apertures extending between the top surface and the bottom surface for receiving bone fasteners therethrough for securing said bone support assembly to such bone structure of such recipient, said bone support plate further comprising a length and a width, and a thickness between the top surface and the bottom surface, channel structure extending downwardly from the top surface and extending alongside respective ones of the apertures, said channel structure comprising at least one channel having a length, a bottom, and first and second sides, at least one of the first and second sides of the at least one channel having an opening therein extending into a respective said aperture; and (b) locking structure in respective ones of said at least one channel, said locking structure in a given said channel having a length, and comprising first and second elongate bands having respective lengths thereof, and extending along the length of the respective said channel, and at least one resilient spring extending between, and connecting, the first and second elongate bands, and urging the first and second bands into engagement with the first and second sides of the respective channel, at least one of said first and second bands extending through the opening in the respective side of the channel, and thus extending into the respective aperture, said band being effective, automatically and as a consequence of driving a bone fastener through the respective aperture, to respond to a side force applied by an interfering element of such bone fastener by resiliently moving transversely of the length of the respective said band, and away from such interfering element, and by resiliently returning to a blocking position over the interfering element after such interfering element passes said band.