Patent ID: 7749257

Claim:
A bearing plate for use in bone fixation, said plate comprising a predominately spherical hole in which an expandable spherical bearing can be rotatably supported for angulated movement through different angles and thereafter expanded to become locked a specific angle in said hole, said spherical hole having a wall facing said bearing and against which the bearing is pressed when the bearing is expanded, and means extending into said plate at said spherical hole for providing yielding expansability of the wall of said hole so that as said bearing is expanded, the spherical wall of said hole yieldingly and progressively expands therewith to provide increasing elastic resistance to the expanding bearing and deformation of the wall so that the expanded bearing becomes locked in the expanded spherical hole at said selected angle, wherein said means at said hole comprises a slot in said plate extending outwardly and obliquely from said hole, said slot being configured to be reduced in size as said hole expands to form an elastic segment capable of deforming outwardly as said bearing expands and wherein said slot forms a pointed end on said elastic segment adapted for biting into the bearing as it expands.