Patent attributes
The present disclosure includes a polyaxial bone fixation element for use in spinal fixation to interconnect a longitudinal spinal rod with a patient's vertebra. The polyaxial bone fixation element preferably includes a bone anchor, a collet, a body, and a locking cap. The polyaxial bone fixation element preferably enables in-situ assembly. That is, the polyaxial bone fixation element is preferably configured so that in use, the bone anchor may be secured to the patient's vertebra prior to being received within the body. Accordingly, the polyaxial bone fixation element enables a surgeon to implant the bone anchor without the body to maximize visibility and access around the anchoring site. Once the bone anchor has been secured to the patient's vertebra, the body can be snapped-onto the bone anchor. The bone anchor preferably also includes a second tool interface so that a surgical instrument can be directly coupled to the bone anchor.
