Patent ID: 8167919

Claim:
An implant system for the spine, comprising: a plate for stabilizing the spine, the plate having front and back surfaces and a plurality of pairs of fixation openings extending between the front and back surfaces, wherein the back surface is adapted to contact the spine; a plurality of bone anchorage screws, each operable to extend through a corresponding one of the fixation openings of the plate so as to fix the plate to the spine; and at least one washer being configured for translation along the front surface and for locking the bone anchorage screws within the fixation openings, wherein, for a first pair of fixation openings, the fixation openings are positioned on opposing sides of a longitudinally oriented center line of the plate, wherein, for the first pair of fixation openings, each opening is configured in the form of an elongated slot oriented in a longitudinal direction of the plate, and includes a bore, a flared portion, and a ramp extending therebetween, and wherein, when threaded into the spine, a bone anchorage screw of the plurality of bone anchorage screws provides a camming action along the ramp, which causes a compression load to be applied to the spine.