Patent ID: 7780708

Claim:
A method of retaining an intervertebral implant within a receiving bed formed between adjoining vertebral bodies, the method comprising the following steps: placing the intervertebral implant between the adjoining vertebral bodies; providing a retaining plate, separate from the intervertebral implant, the retaining plate having a least one throughbore for receiving a bone screw, the retaining plate being dimensioned to extend at least partly across a disk space defined between the adjoining vertebral bodies, and attaching the retaining plate to one of the adjoining vertebral bodies and leaving the retaining plate unattached to the other of the adjoining vertebral bodies, such that the retaining plate extends at least partly across the disk space between the vertebral bodies and is positioned substantially outside of the disk space, and such that, following implant of the retaining plate, the retaining plate remains in a non-connecting relationship with the intervertebral implant and the other of the adjoining vertebral bodies.