Patent ID: 8070776

Claim:
An implant adapted to be implanted in a spine of a patient adjacent to a location of a spine fusion implant comprising: a deflection rod system including an inner rod, an outer shell located about said inner rod and a shield located about said outer shell, said inner rod having a first end extending past said outer shell and said shield, said shield configured to permit deflection of a portion of said inner rod and said outer shell adjacent the first end; and said shield limiting the deflection of said portion of said inner rod and said outer shell; a bone anchor; a mount which secures said deflection rod system to said bone anchor; a vertical rod; a connector which secures said vertical rod to said first end of said inner rod; and wherein a distal portion of said vertical rod is adapted to be secured to one of a spine fusion implant and a vertebra that is being fused to another vertebra in order to ease a transition between a fused area of a spine and an area of the spine adjacent to the fused area of the spine.