Variable angle bone plate with semi-constrained articulating screw

A bone plate, comprising:

• an elongate plate which bridges, during use, substantially adjacent bone portions by anchoring the plate to the bone portions, the elongate plate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein the first surface is positioned, during use, adjacent to at least a portion of a surface of the bone portions;
• a plurality of openings extending through the elongate plate;
• a plurality of bone fasteners comprising a head and a shaft, wherein the shaft is positionable, during use, in the opening such that the shaft engages, during use, at least one of the bone portions and the head is inhibited from being conveyed through the opening such that the bone fasteners couple the elongate plate to the bone portions;
• and
• a securing mechanism which when activated inhibits removal of at least one of the bone fasteners and inhibits movement of at least the shaft of the bone fastener in a first direction, while allowing movement of at least the shaft of the bone fastener in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction.

A method, comprising:

• positioning an elongate plate such that substantially adjacent vertebrae are bridged, the elongate plate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein the first surface is positioned adjacent to at least a portion of a surface of the vertebrae, and wherein the elongate plate comprises a plurality of openings extending through the elongate plate;
• anchoring the plate to the vertebrae by positioning shafts of a plurality of bone fasteners in at least some of the plurality of openings such that the shaft engages at least one of the vertebrae;
• inhibiting a head of at least two of the bone fasteners from being conveyed through the opening such that the bone fasteners couple the elongate plate to the vertebrae;
• activating a securing mechanism such that removal of at least one of the bone fasteners is inhibited;
• inhibiting movement of at least the shaft of the bone fastener in a lateral direction using the securing mechanism;
• and
• allowing movement of at least the shaft of the bone fastener substantially parallel to a sagittal plane.

A method, comprising:

• positioning an elongate plate such that substantially adjacent bone portions are bridged, the elongate plate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein the first surface is positioned adjacent to at least a portion of a surface of the bone portions, and wherein the elongate plate comprises a plurality of openings extending through the elongate plate;
• anchoring the plate to the bone portions by positioning shafts of a plurality of bone fasteners in at least some of the plurality of openings such that the shaft engages at least one of the bone portions;
• inhibiting a head of at least two of the bone fasteners from being conveyed through the opening such that the bone fasteners couple the elongate plate to the bone portions;
• activating a securing mechanism such that removal of at least one of the bone fasteners is inhibited;
• inhibiting movement of at least the shaft of the bone fastener in a first direction using the securing mechanism;
• and
• allowing movement of at least the shaft of the bone fastener in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction.