Patent ID: 8257355

Claim:
A spine fixation assembly for connecting a first vertebra to a second vertebra comprising: first and second guide wires configured to be removably inserted into first and second locations of said first vertebra and third and fourth guide wires configured to be removably inserted into first and second locations of said second vertebra; first and second fixation elements configured to be driven into said first and second locations of said first vertebra and third and fourth fixation elements configured to be driven into said first and second locations of said second vertebra, respectively, wherein each of said fixation elements comprises a threaded body, a flange extending from an end of said threaded body, a threaded post extending from said flange and a through bore extending longitudinally through said threaded body said flange and said post, and wherein said corresponding guide wire is dimensioned to pass through said through bore; a first plate configured to be top-loaded over said threaded posts of said first and second fixation elements driven into said first and second locations of said first vertebra; a second plate configured to be top-loaded over said threaded posts of said third and fourth fixation elements driven into said first and second locations of said second vertebra; wherein said first and second plates comprise one or more apertures configured to receive said one or more fixation elements and wherein the diameters of said apertures are smaller than the diameters of said fixation elements flanges; and wherein said first plate comprises an apex facing toward the second plate and wherein said second plate comprises an apex facing toward the first plate and wherein said first plate apex overlaps with said second plate apex and wherein said first plate is pivotally connected to said second plate via a pivot pin and wherein said pivot pin extends from said first plate and said second plate comprises an opening dimensioned to receive said pivot pin and wherein said pivot pin is perpendicular to said overlapping apexes of said first and second plates and wherein said first and second plates pivot relative to each other around a pivot axis being perpendicular to said first and second plates; and wherein said opening of the second plate comprises an elongated slot extending along a longitudinal axis wherein said longitudinal axis is perpendicular to said pivot axis and wherein said first plate is also movable relative to said second plate along said longitudinal axis.