Patent ID: 8303633

Claim:
A dynamic bone plate system, comprising: a plate having an upper surface and a lower surface, said plate defining at least two bone screw holes, at least one unthreaded locking element configured to articulate with at least one of said at least two bone screw holes, at least two bone screws corresponding to said at least two bone screw holes, said bone screws being capable of securely connecting to said corresponding locking elements, wherein said locking elements include at least one tab member extending radially outward therefrom, the tab member configured to connect the locking elements to the corresponding one of the at least two bone screw holes such that the locking elements are capable of sliding movement relative to said plate when said screws are in a fully locked position, wherein said bone screw has at least one locking thread disposed proximally of a threaded shaft of the bone screw for lockably engaging said unthreaded locking element, wherein one of the bone screw holes is elongated and the tab of the locking element slidably engages an inner surface of the elongated bone screw hole such that when the bone screw is fully locked to the locking element, the plate is freely movable relative to the bone screw.