Patent Document ID: 8083775
Application ID: 12566516

Base Claim:
1. A medical device comprising: a bone screw having a longitudinal axis, a proximal end and a distal end; the distal end of the bone screw adapted to engage a vertebra; a housing at the proximal end of the bone screw; a bore in the housing aligned with the longitudinal axis of the bone screw, the bore having an open end and the bore terminating in a spherical pocket; a post having a ball-shaped retainer at a first end, the post being positioned in the bore of the housing such that the ball-shaped retainer is trapped within the spherical pocket allowing the post to pivot about a pivot point at the center of the ball-shaped retainer, and a second end of the post extends through the open end of the bore; a compliant member positioned in the bore between the housing and post to flexibly align the post with the bore and the longitudinal axis of the bone screw; and a bone screw thread which extends along said bone screw and a portion of said housing, said bone screw thread extending more proximally along the housing than the pivot point at the center of the ball-shaped retainer such that, upon implantation, the bone screw and the portion of the housing are adapted to be implanted in a bone and the pivot point is adapted to be positioned within the bone.

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Claim 3:
3. The medical device of claim 1 , wherein the bone screw is adapted for insertion in a pedicle of a vertebra such that, upon implantation, the bone screw and the portion of the housing are adapted to be implanted in the pedicle and the pivot point is adapted to be positioned within the pedicle, without obstruction of pivoting of the post.