Patent ID: 7559929

Claim:
A system for spinal stabilization, comprising: a bone anchor engageable to a vertebra, said bone anchor including a bone engagement portion and a receiver at a proximal end of said bone engagement portion, said receiver including a pair of arms extending along opposite sides of a receptacle of said receiver, said receptacle extending and opening transversely to said pair of arms and at a proximal end of said pair of arms, said bone anchor further including a lumen extending axially there along that opens into said receptacle between said pair of arms; a guide member engageable to the vertebra, said guide member including an elongated body positioned in said lumen of said anchor with said guide member extending through said receptacle and proximally of said pair of arms, said body of said guide member being sized for receiving said lumen of said anchor so that said anchor is movable along said guide member for engagement with the vertebra with said guide member extending from said lumen into said receptacle; a spinal rod including an elongated, cylindrical body extending along a longitudinal axis, said body including a passage extending trans-axially therethrough, said spinal rod being positioned about said guide member with said guide member received in said passage while said spinal rod is positioned in said receptacle of said receiver and between said pair of arms, said spinal rod being movable along said guide member toward said anchor when said guide member and said anchor are engaged to the vertebra, wherein when said spinal rod is positioned in said receptacle of said receiver said guide member extends through said passage of said spinal rod and proximally of said spinal rod and said pair of arms; and an engaging member defining a central lumen for receiving said guide member, said engaging member positioned between said pair of arms and engaged to said anchor member for securing said spinal rod in said receiver between said pair of arms, wherein said guide member simultaneously extends through said lumen of said anchor, said passage of said spinal rod, and said lumen of said engaging member and extends proximally from said engaging member so that said guide member is removable from lumens of said anchor and said engaging member and said passage of said spinal rod.