Patent ID: 8840667

Claim:
A system for use in a cervical spinal operation comprising: a template comprising six or fewer holes therethrough, the majority of the holes being circular, the holes including a central hole and two or more screw holes; and a plate comprising at least two holes therethrough and configured to be screwed into one or more vertebrae; wherein at least two of the screw holes of the template are configured to simultaneously align with at least two of the holes of the plate; wherein the central hole is configured to be coupled over one of a handle of a trial and an inserter; and wherein the template is configured to place a first of the two or more screw holes over a rostral vertebra and to place a second of the two or more screw holes over a caudal vertebra; the system further comprising a coupling member configured to couple to the inserter coupled to a graft and configured to secure the plate to the graft through coupling to the inserter, wherein the coupling member further comprises a center piece coupled to two side blocks through a dovetail joint in each of the two side blocks.