Patent ID: 8357186

Claim:
A bone bolt assembly designed for attaching supporting plates and rods to bone, to hold adjacent bones stationary relative to each other, and to hold bone fragments together, the bone bolt assembly comprising: a tubular member having an elongate, straight length with opposite proximal and distal ends, the tubular member having a hollow interior bore defined by a cylindrical interior surface, the interior bore having a center axis that defines mutually perpendicular axial and radial directions relative to the tubular member length, the tubular member interior surface having internal screw threading formed thereon and the tubular member having a smooth cylindrical exterior surface that extends entirely over the tubular member length and is dimensioned for axially directed insertion through a hole drilled in bone; a head at the proximal end of the tubular member length, the head being adapted for transmitting axial movement of the head to axial movement of the tubular member; and, a tip removably attached to the tubular member at the tubular member distal end, the tip having an axial length with opposite proximal and distal ends, the tip having a cylindrical exterior surface with external screw threading at the tip proximal end, the external screw threading being complementary to the tubular member internal screw threading and the external screw threading being threaded inside the internal screw threading in removably attaching the tip to the tubular member distal end, and the tip having a conical exterior surface at the tip distal end.