Patent ID: 8617223

Claim:
A bone fastening assembly for use with a screw comprising a bone plate, a bushing distinct from the bone plate and having an outer wall, the bushing being provided with an internally-threaded bore adapted for receiving the screw and a slit extending from the bore through the outer wall for permitting radial expansion of the bushing, the bone plate having a substantially planar portion and being provided with a hole in the portion of the bone plate for receiving the bushing, and cooperative engaging means carried by the portion and the bushing for capturing the bushing within the hole and restricting removal of the bushing from the hole when the bushing is substantially parallel to the portion so as to provide pivotal movement of the bushing within the hole about a single pivot axis that is restricted to a plane extending in the portion of the bone plate so that when the bushing is disposed in the hole of the bone plate and the screw is threaded into the bushing the bushing can be pivoted to a desired position relative to the bone plate and then positionally locked relative to the bone plate by further advancement of the screw through the bushing so as to cause the bushing to radially expand and frictionally lock within the hole of the bone plate.