Patent ID: 8328849

Claim:
A spinal stabilization system comprising: a first vertebral anchor configured to be secured to a first vertebra; a second vertebral anchor configured to be secured to a second vertebra; a third vertebral anchor configured to be secured to a third vertebra; and a cord extendable between the first, second and third vertebral anchors, a first length of the cord including a first set of intermingled filaments, and a second length of the cord including a second set of intermingled filaments; wherein the first set of intermingled filaments includes a first subset of filaments and a second subset of filaments, and the second set of intermingled filaments includes the first subset of filaments of the first set of intermingled filaments and a third subset of filaments of a material different than a material of the second subset of filaments of the first set of intermingled filaments; wherein the cord includes a transition region between the first length of the cord and the second length of the cord; wherein the transition region is a region where ends of the second subset of filaments and ends of the third subset of filaments are located; and wherein the ends of the second subset of filaments at the transition region are adjacent to the ends of the third subset of filaments at the transition region.