Bone fastener assembly for bone retention apparatus

An apparatus for use in retaining bone bodies in a desired spatial relationship, the apparatus including:

• an appliance for attachment to one or more of the bone bodies, the appliance having an aperture at the location where the appliance is attached to a bone body;
• and
• a bone fastener assembly for fastening the appliance to the bone body, the bone fastener assembly comprising:
• a bone fastener having an attaching portion for attaching the bone fastener to a bone body, and also having a supporting portion and a securing portion;
• an adjusting member supported by the supporting portion of the bone fastener, the adjusting member having an opening extending through it, the opening in the adjusting member being in registration with the securing portion of the bone fastener, and the adjusting member including an engaging surface engaging the appliance adjacent to the aperture in the appliance;
• the supporting portion of the bone fastener and the adjusting member being configured so that the adjusting member is supported by the supporting portion of the bone fastener for universal movement relative to the supporting portion of the bone fastener;
• and
• a securing fastener having a first end adapted to pass through the aperture in the appliance, the first end of the securing fastener extending through the opening in the adjusting member and being secured to the securing portion of the bone fastener, a second end of the securing fastener having a bearing surface adapted to bear against the appliance in opposition to the engaging surface of the adjusting member, whereby the appliance is securely fastened to the bone fastener.