Patent ID: 8663284

Claim:
A connecting element for a spinal column stabilization system comprising a first attachment section for fixing to a first bone attachment device, a second attachment section for fixing to a second bone attachment device and an at least partially flexible intermediate section which is arranged or formed between the first and the second attachment section, which said intermediate section is in the form of a strip-like, winding leaf spring element comprising two leaf spring element surfaces and comprises at least one recess which is open in a direction transverse to a longitudinal axis defined by the intermediate section, wherein at least one of the two leaf spring element surfaces of the leaf spring element comprises at least one stiffness-modifying element, wherein the at least one recess is formed by milling from both sides of the intermediate section in mutually facing directions that are transverse to a longitudinal axis defined by the connecting element and an overall milling depth being smaller in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis than a thickness of the connecting element in a milling direction transverse to the longitudinal axis, so that a partitioning element separating two milled-out indentations from each other is formed which comprises the at least one stiffness-modifying element.