Patent ID: 7695497

Claim:
An implant system for use with a stabilizing rod for immobilizing bone segments comprising: a) an implant adapted to be secured to a bone segment, the implant having a longitudinal axis and a pair of upstanding internally threaded implant posts extending parallel to the longitudinal axis and defining a transverse opening for receiving a stabilizing rod, the implant posts having curved outside surfaces, b) a cap with opposed curved side walls which extend around the implant posts and end walls extending between the side walls, the cap having integral top and bottom struts, extending across a hollow opening, with a fixed distance there between; c) a set screw rotatably mounted within the cap and aligned between the side walls and the top and bottom struts, for positioning between the implant posts, the set screw having a top defining a wrench engaging surface and external threads arranged to engage the internally threaded implant posts whereby rotation of the set screw will advance the cap and set screw in unison along the implant posts to fix the stabilizing rod, the cap having coaxial alignment means in cooperation with the implant posts to coaxially align the set screw with the implant longitudinal axis and prevent the cap from rotating relative to the implant posts, the set screw has a bottom surface that rotates above the bottom strut to force a lower surface of the cap to directly contact and apply a fixation force on the stabilizing rod.