Patent ID: 8236033

Claim:
A spinal plate assembly, comprising: (a) a spinal plate, said spinal plate having a length, and an exterior side wall extending along the length of said spinal plate, said spinal plate comprising (i) a top surface, (ii) a bottom surface opposite the top surface, (iii) a plurality of bone-fastener-receiving apertures, and (iv) a channel, at least in part defining a channel opening extending downwardly, from the top surface, the channel comprising a side wall extending from the top surface toward the bottom surface, a channel bottom wall between the top surface and the bottom surface, a generally straight line portion of said channel side wall extending in a direction generally consistent with said plate exterior side wall at a location displaced from a respective said aperture; (b) a resiliently deflectable blocker band in the channel, a length of said blocker band extending across a path traversed by a bone fastener being driven into one of the apertures.