Anterior cervical plating system

A bone fixation system for a portion of the spinal column, comprising:

• a plate having a length along a central axis extending longitudinally between a first end and a second end, a top surface and a bottom surface along said length, said plate further defining a plurality of first openings and a plurality of second openings between said surfaces, wherein:
• at least two of said first openings are circular, having a first diameter, and are positioned adjacent said first end;
• at least two of said second openings are slotted, having a first width and a first length, and are positioned adjacent said second end of said plate;
• bone engaging fasteners extending through said first and second openings, each bone engaging fastener having an elongated shank having bone engaging threads thereon and an enlarged head, said bone engaging fasteners configured for insertion into said first and second openings from said top surface;
• and
• means retaining said heads of said bone engaging fasteners in said first and second openings, said retaining means translatable from a first position allowing bone engaging fastener insertion into said first and second openings to a second position retaining said bone engaging fasteners in said first and second openings.

A bone fixation system for a portion of the spinal column, comprising:

• four bone engaging fasteners, each having an enlarged head and a threaded shank;
• an elongated plate having a length extending between a first end and a second end and sized to span between at least two vertebrae, said plate defining a one pair of adjacent holes adjacent said first end and one pair of adjacent slots adjacent said second end, each of said holes and said slots configured to receive said threaded shank of a corresponding one of said bone engaging fasteners therethrough,
• wherein said bone engaging fasteners extending through said pair of holes fix said plate to said first vertebra and said bone engaging fasteners extend through said slots to secure said plate to said second vertebra, and said bone engaging fasteners received in said slots are enabled to translate in said slots in a direction of the length of the plate to maintain compression on the spinal column portion;
• and
• a retainer assembly having a retainer mechanism configured to overlap each of said holes and slots and retain said bone engaging fasteners extending through said holes and slots.

A bone fixation system for a portion of a spinal column, comprising:

• six bone engaging fasteners, each having an enlarged head and a threaded shank;
• an elongated plate having a length extending between a first end and a second end and sized to span between at least three vertebrae, said plate defining one pair of holes over a first vertebra, one pair of into slots over a second vertebra, and one pair of slots over a third vertebra, each of said holes and said slots configured to receive said threaded shank of a corresponding one of said bone engaging fasteners therethrough,
• wherein said bone engaging fasteners extending through said pair of holes fix said plate to said first vertebra and said bone engaging fasteners extend through said slots to secure said plate to said second vertebra, and said bone engaging fasteners received in said slots are enabled to translate in said slots in a direction of the length of the plate to maintain compression on the spinal column portion;
• and
• a retainer assembly having a retainer mechanism configured to overlap each of said holes and slots and retain said bone engaging fastener extending through said holes and slots in said plate.

A fastener retainer assembly for an elongated plate having a length extending between at least two vertebrae, the plate defining a number of openings therethrough for insertion of bone engaging fasteners to attach the plate to the at least two vertebrae, said retainer assembly comprising:

• a first fastener bore defined in said plate adjacent at least one of the openings positioned over the first vertebra and a second fastener bore defined in said plate adjacent at least one the openings positioned over the second vertebra;
• a washer defining at least a first aperture adjacent said at least one opening positioned over the first vertebra and a second aperture adjacent said at least one opening positioned over the second vertebra, said washer configured to retain said bone engaging fasteners extending through said openings in said plate;
• and
• a locking fastener for each of said apertures, said locking fastener having an elongated shank extending through said aperture and configured to engage said fastener bore of said plate, said openings in said plate being positioned and configured wherein said washer is movable between a first position enabling insertion of said bone engaging fasteners into said at least one openings and a second position wherein said washer retains said inserted bone engaging fasteners in said plate.

A plating system for the spinal column, comprising:

• a plate having a length along a central axis extending longitudinally between a first end and a second end, the plate having a top surface and a bottom surface along the length;
• a first fixation system for fastening the plate and a first portion of the spinal column in a fixed position;
• a second fixation system for fastening the plate and a second portion of the spinal column in a translatable position;
• and
• a retainer mechanism movably fixed to the plate, the retainer mechanism movable between a first position and a second position, wherein the retainer mechanism in the second position maintains at least a portion of at least one of the first fixation system and the second fixation system in a predetermined relative position with respect to the plate.

A plating system for the spinal column, comprising:

• a plate having a length along a central axis extending longitudinally between a first end and a second end, the plate having a top surface and a bottom surface along the length;
• a first fixation system for fastening the plate and a first portion of the spinal column in a fixed position,
• a second fixation system for fastening the plate and a second portion of the spinal column in a translatable position;
• and
• a retainer mechanism movably fixed to the plate, the retainer mechanism translatable between a first position and a second position, wherein the retainer mechanism in the second position confines at least a portion of both the first fixation system and the second fixation system within a predetermined range of positions relative to the top surface of the plate.

A plating system for the spinal column, comprising:

• a plate having a length along a central axis extending longitudinally between a first end and a second end, the plate having a top surface and a bottom surface along the length;
• a first fixation system fastenable in a fixed position with respect to the plate and mountable to a first portion of the spinal column;
• a second fixation system fastenable in a translatable position with respect to the plate and mountable to a second portion of the spinal column;
• a retainer body movable between a first position and a second position, wherein in the second position the retainer body maintains at least a portion of at least one of the first fixation system and the second fixation system in a predetermined position relative to the plate.

A bone fixation system for a portion of the spinal column, comprising:

• a plate having a length along a central axis extending longitudinally between a first end and a second end, and a top surface and a bottom surface along said length, and said plate having a plurality of first openings and a plurality of second openings between said surfaces, wherein:
• at least one of said plurality of first openings is positioned adjacent said first end, said one first opening defining a circular hole having a first diameter adjacent said bottom surface;
• at least one of said plurality of second openings is positioned adjacent said second ends said one second opening defining a slot having a first width and a first length adjacent said bottom surface;
• bone engaging fasteners extending through said first and second openings, each bone engaging fastener having an elongated shank defining bone engaging threads thereon and an enlarged head, said shank having a substantially cylindrical portion with a second diameter less than said first diameter so said bone engaging fastener can be inserted through said one first opening and said cylindrical portion contacts said plate in said one first opening so that said bone engaging fastener assumes a fixed orientation relative to said plate, said cylindrical portion second diameter also less than said first width so said bone engaging fastener can be inserted through said one second opening from said top surface of said plate and said head of said bone engaging fastener is translatable along the length of said at least one second opening to maintain compression of the spinal column portion;
• whereby each of said at least one first and second opening defines a recess adjacent said top surface and said enlarged head defines a partially spherical surface complementary to said recess of said at least one first and second openings;
• and
• a retainer assembly for retaining said heads of said number of bone engaging fasteners within said at least one first opening and said at least one second opening.

A bone fixation system for a portion of the spinal column, comprising:

• a plate having a length along a central axis extending longitudinally between a first end and a second end, and a top surface and a bottom surface along said length, and said plate having a plurality of first openings;
• and a plurality of second open between said surfaces, wherein:
• at least one of said plurality of first openings is positioned adjacent said first end, said one first opening defining a circular hole having a first diameter adjacent said bottom surface;.
• at least one of said plurality of second openings is positioned adjacent said second end, said one second opening defining a slot having a first width and a first length adjacent said bottom surface;
• bone engaging fasteners extending through said first and second openings, each bone engaging fastener having an elongated shank defining bone engaging threads thereon and an enlarged head, said shank having a substantially cylindrical portion with a second diameter less than said first diameter so said bone engaging fastener can be inserted through said one first opening and said cylindrical portion contacts said plate in said one first opening so that said bone engaging fastener assumes a fixed orientation relative to said plate, said cylindrical portion second diameter also less than said first width so said bone engaging fastener can be inserted through said one second opening from said top surface of said plate and said head of said bone engaging fastener is translatable along the length of said at least one second opening to maintain compression of the spinal column portion;
• and
• a retainer assembly including:
• a first fastener bore defined in said plate adjacent said at least one first opening and a second fastener bore defined in said plate adjacent said at least one second opening;
• a washer having at least a first aperture adjacent said at least one first opening and a second aperture adjacent said at least one second opening and a countersink communicating with each of said apertures, said washer further having a surface configured to contact said head of said bone engaging fastener extending through said at least one first opening;
• and
• a locking fastener for each of said apertures having a head configured to be at least partially recessed within said countersink portion of said washer and an elongated shank extending through said aperture configured to engage said fastener bore of said plate.