Patent ID: 7867257

Claim:
A polyaxial bone securing system comprising: a bone securing member including a threaded shaft portion and a head portion; a coupling element including a rod receiving channel for receiving a longitudinal spinal rod, an upper end defining an upper opening, a lower end defining a lower opening, a bore extending from the upper opening to the lower opening, a seat adjacent the lower opening, the lower opening enabling the threaded shaft portion of the bone securing member to pass through; a saddle member disposed within the bore of the coupling element, the saddle member being located between the longitudinal spinal rod when inserted in the rod-receiving channel and the head portion of the bone securing member; and a mating cap for operatively engaging the coupling element for securing the longitudinal spinal rod and the bone securing member with respect to the coupling element; wherein the lower opening includes a discrete number of non-contiguous radially expandable contact elements, each contact element radially expanding against the head portion of the bone securing member to secure a position of the bone securing member with respect to the coupling element.