Patent ID: 8496693

Claim:
A bone screw retention system for retaining bone screws therein, and releasing bone screws therefrom having a plate that defines a plurality of transversely extending bores configured for receiving bone screws and at least one retention member cavity corresponding to each bore, each bore having a longitudinal axis, the retention system comprising: at least one elastically deformable retention member positioned therein each cavity, the elastically deformable retention member comprising: a body having an edge portion, wherein at least a portion of the body is positioned therein each cavity such that portions of the body extend into an upper region the respective bore, and at least one stabilizing neck abutting the body, wherein the stabilizing neck is mounted therein a portion of the cavity and is substantially restricted from moving toward the longitudinal axis; and wherein a portion of the edge portion of the body is movable between a first relaxed position and a second expanded position, wherein, in the first relaxed position, a portion of the edge portion of the body extends inwardly substantially transverse to and toward the longitudinal axis of the respective bore and into the upper region of the bore, which decreases an effective inner diameter of the upper region of the bore, and wherein, in the second expanded position, portions of the body are medially biased outwardly away from the longitudinal axis of the bore towards an outer wall of the upper region of the bore, which increases the effective inner diameter of the upper region of the bore, permitting a bone screw positioned within the bore to exit the bore, and in the first relaxed position, a bone screw positioned within the bore is substantially prevented from exiting the bore by portions of the body and wherein the at least one stabilizing neck at least partially expands when the body is moved into the second expanded position thereby frictionally engaging a portion of the plate defining the retention member cavity.