Importance

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Abstract

A clamp is provided for clamping a spinal rod to a vertebral fixation element which permits access directly from the top of the instrumentation site. The clamp includes a body defining a channel configured to receive the spinal rod and a pair of conical sleeves for restrainably securing the spinal rod to the clamp by forcibly inserting the sleeves between the spinal rod and the channel. The clamp further includes a projection extending from the body, terminating in a T-bar, and a washer slidably disposed on the projection between the T-bar and channel. As the conical sleeves are forcibly inserted into the channel, the sleeves bear upon the the washer and displace the washer in the direction of the T-bar, thereby clamping the vertebral fixation element between the T-bar and washer. The dual function of the conical sleeves thereby clamps the spinal rod to a vertebral fixation element.

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First Claim