Crosslink for securing spinal rods

A connecting assembly for interconnecting spinal rods secured to spinal vertebrae, the connecting assembly comprising:

• a pair of spinal rod connecting devices;
• a contact surface of at least one of the connecting devices for seating on one of the spinal rods;
• a locking member distinct from the one connecting device for being shifted relative thereto between a clamped position with the locking member clamping the spinal rod against the contact surface and an unclamped position with the spinal rod released;
• a biasing member distinct from the one connecting device that provides a bias force to urge the locking member to the unclamped position thereof;
• and
• a rotatable actuator mounted to the one connecting device and configured to be rotated by a predetermined rotary amount to a locked position thereof causing the locking member to be shifted against the bias force of the biasing member to the clamped position of the locking member on the spinal rod.

A connecting assembly for interconnecting spinal rods secured to spinal vertebrae, the connecting assembly comprising:

• a pair of spinal rod connecting devices;
• a contact surface of at least one of the connecting devices for seating on one of the spinal rods;
• a locking member for being shifted between a clamped position with the locking member clamping the spinal rod against the contact surface and an unclamped position with the spinal rod released;
• and
• a rotatable actuator operable to shift the locking member between the clamped and unclamped positions, the actuator rotatable by a predetermined rotary amount to a locked position thereof corresponding to the clamped position of the locking member on the spinal rod wherein the rotatable actuator member has an upper head portion and an elongate shank depending therefrom with the shank including an annular outer channel extending therearound, and the locking member is secured in the annular channel of the rotatable actuator member shank such that the rotatable actuator member shank and locking member may rotate relative to each other.

A connecting assembly for interconnecting spinal rods secured to spinal vertebrae, the connecting assembly comprising:

• a pair of spinal rod connecting devices for being connected to a respective pair of spinal rods;
• a cross rod having opposite ends and a central longitudinal rod axis extending therebetween and being integral with a first one of the pair of spinal rod connecting devices to be fixed relative thereto at a first one of the opposite rod ends;
• a rod receiving member having a central longitudinal receiver axis and being integral with a second one of the pair of spinal rod connecting devices to be fixed relative thereto, the rod receiving member including an elongate internal bore oriented along the receiver axis and being configured for adjustably receiving a second one of the opposite rod ends through an open end thereof so that the rod may be pivoted with respect to the receiver axis to provide the rod with variable angles relative thereto to allow the axes of the cross rod and rod receiving member to be either coincident or extend transversely to one another and so that the cross rod may be shifted axially along the rod axis to variable depths within the bore of the rod receiving member limited by a closed end of the bore opposite the open end at which the second spinal rod connecting device is fixed;
• a clamp device for clamping against the cross rod received in the rod receiving member;
• and
• a sleeve that extends about the rod receiving member and is shifted axially along the receiver axis thereof for clamping the clamp device against the cross rod to fix the cross rod at an adjusted angle and an adjusted depth within the receiving member.

A connecting assembly for interconnecting a pair of spinal rods secured to spinal vertebrae, the connecting assembly comprising:

• a pair of spinal rod connecting devices each having an arcuate surface and a locking member for clamping the connecting assembly to the pair of spinal rods;
• a cross rod being connected to one of the connecting devices, the cross rod having a solid construction without a slot formed therein;
• a rod receiving member being connected to the other connecting device, the rod receiving member including an internal generally annular bore configured for receiving and guiding the solid cross rod for depth adjustment therein;
• a clamp device configured for extending about and clamping against the solid cross rod when received in the rod receiving member;
• a sleeve that is operable for clamping the clamp device against the solid cross rod;
• and
• side openings in the receiving member that open to the bore to allow the solid cross rod to be pivoted in and out of the bore through the side openings, wherein the cross rod has lateral surfaces which may be pivoted relative to the rod receiving member into and out of the bore and through the rod receiving member side openings.

A connecting assembly for interconnecting a pair of spinal rods secured to spinal vertebrae, the connecting assembly comprising:

• a pair of spinal rod connecting devices each having an arcuate surface and a locking member for clamping the connecting assembly to the pair of spinal rods;
• a cross rod being connected to one of the connecting devices;
• a rod receiving member being connected to the other connecting device, the rod receiving member including an internal bore for receiving the cross rod;
• a clamp device for clamping against the cross rod when received in the rod receiving member;
• a sleeve for clamping the clamp device against the cross rod;
• side openings in the receiving member that open to the bore to allow the cross rod to be pivoted in and out of the bore through the side openings, wherein the cross rod has lateral surfaces which may be pivoted relative to the rod receiving member into and out of the side openings;
• wherein the cross rod has a central longitudinal axis, and the rod receiving member has a central longitudinal axis;
• wherein the lateral surfaces of the cross rod are beveled towards the central longitudinal axis of the cross rod at an end of the cross rod.

A connecting assembly for interconnecting spinal rods secured to spinal vertebrae, the connecting assembly comprising:

• a pair of spinal rod connecting devices each having a body with a lower arcuate surface that opens downwardly for being lowered down onto a respective pair of spinal rods to be seated thereon;
• a cross rod having opposite ends and a central longitudinal rod axis extending therebetween and being integral with an upper portion of the body of a first one of the pair of spinal rod connecting devices to be fixed relative thereto at a first one of the opposite rod ends so that the cross rod is generally higher than the downwardly opening, lower arcuate surface of the first spinal rod connecting device;
• a rod receiving member having a central longitudinal receiver axis and being connected to a second one of the pair of spinal rod connecting devices, the rod receiving member including an internal bore oriented along the receiver axis and being configured for adjustably receiving a second one of the opposite rod ends so that the rod may be pivoted with respect to the receiver axis to provide the rod with variable angles relative thereto to allow the axes of the cross rod and rod receiving member to be either coincident or extend transversely to one another and so that the cross rod may be shifted axially along the rod axis to variable depths within the bore of the rod receiving member;
• a clamp device for clamping against the cross rod received in the rod receiving member;
• and
• a sleeve for clamping the clamp device against the cross rod to fix the cross rod at an adjusted angle and an adjusted depth within the receiving member wherein the sleeve is rotated to clamp the clamp device against the cross rod.