| 摘要 |
A polyaxial fastener is secured within an implant with a retaining ring. The ring is assembled onto a circumferential groove formed in the fastener head. The groove and ring are positionable, when the fastener is installed into an implant, at a wide portion of the mating polyaxial aperture in the implant. The ring is compressible into the groove to form a narrowed diameter, which is passable into a narrow diameter of the aperture, near an entrance to the aperture. The ring is released to expand and increase an overall diameter of the head and ring assembly, thereby rending the assembly too wide to pass by the narrow entrance to the aperture, thereby securing the assembly within the implant. |
| 主权项 |
1. A method for stabilizing spinal elements comprising:
positioning an implant on spinal elements; providing a fastener insertable within an implant in a body, the implant having an aperture through which the fastener may be inserted, the aperture defining a larger dimension and a smaller dimension, the fastener comprising: an elongated body; a head connected to said body, said head further including a circumferential groove disposable proximate the larger dimension of the implant when said head is mated with said implant; and a locking member sized to be positionable partly within said circumferential groove to extend from said circumferential groove to thereby increase a widest dimension of said head, said locking member formed with a resilient material, said locking member resiliently expandable from a first compressed configuration having a first dimension to a second relaxed configuration having a second dimension, said second dimension larger than said first dimension, said head passable into the aperture when said locking member is assembled into said groove and said locking member is in said first compressed configuration, and said head not passable out of the aperture when said locking member is resiliently expanded to said second configuration, due to said locking member interfering in said second configuration with the smaller dimension of the curved inner profile; said locking member further including a first end and a second end, said first end fixed within said circumferential groove, and said second end moveable to change a shape of said locking member from said first compressed configuration to said second relaxed configuration, said second end including a notch releasably engageable to maintain said locking member in said first compressed configuration. |
