Patent ID: 7169150

Claim:
A spinal plating system for promoting fusion between two or more vertebral bodies, comprising: a plurality of bone screws; a body formed primarily of a non-metallic radiolucent material, the body having an upper surface and a lower surface, wherein the body includes a plurality of bone screw openings for receiving the plurality of bone screws, wherein the body includes at least one locking mechanism opening for receiving a locking mechanism; and at least one insert formed primarily of a metallic material, the insert being insertable into the at least one locking mechanism opening, wherein the insert selectively receives the locking mechanism; wherein each of the at least one locking mechanism openings is situated such that at least one of the plurality of bone screws received in one of the plurality of bone screw openings is lockably held by the received locking mechanism; wherein the at least one insert includes a dove tail portion that longitudinally extends along a corresponding slot of the bottom surface of the body, and wherein the insert includes a plurality of threaded openings and the body includes a plurality of locking mechanism openings positioned so that when the dove tail portion of the insert is positioned in the corresponding slot of the body, the plurality of threaded openings are aligned with the plurality of locking mechanism openings.