Anterior cervical plate assembly

An anterior cervical plate assembly comprising:

• a base plate including:
• a plurality of bone screw seats, each bone screw seat including a borehole dimensioned to receive a bone screw, each borehole defining a central axis that is (a) angled relative to a central lateral axis of the base plate at a first angle and (b) angled relative to a central longitudinal axis at a second angle;
• a plurality of blocking elements disposed in corresponding grooves formed in the base plate adjacent corresponding ones of the plurality of bone screw seats;
• and
• a first screw disposed in one of the plurality of screw seats, the first screw having a first screw head and a first threaded shaft extending from the first screw head, wherein the first screw includes a first identifying feature on an upper surface of the first screw head for indicating a screw type,
• wherein each of the plurality of blocking elements is elastically biased towards an initial state in which the blocking element partially obstructs a corresponding screw seat and a compressed state in which the corresponding screw seat is unobstructed, and
• wherein each blocking element includes a ramped surface such that a head of a bone screw inserted through the corresponding screw seat corresponding abuts against the ramped surface and moves the blocking element towards the compressed state,
• wherein each of the plurality of blocking elements is a planar, monolithic element having a blocking portion, a base portion, and an arm connecting the blocking portion and the base portion,
• wherein the blocking portion of the first blocking element resides in a first slot laterally extending from the first screw seat and the base portion of the first blocking element resides in a second slot laterally extending from the first screw seat, and wherein when the first blocking element is compressed, the blocking portion slides further into the first slot so as to leave the first screw seat unobstructed.