US Patent 7569061 Off-axis anchor guidance system

Disclosed is a guided bone anchoring device comprising a head, a shank and a passage for receiving a guide wire, the passage having a longitudinal center axis which is not concentric to the longitudinal center axis of the shank. Also disclosed is a system for guiding bone anchors, the system comprising: a guide wire, an anchor comprised of a shank wherein the shank has an offset bore at the distal end which is adapted to allow the guide wire to slide through the bore, a dilator having a longitudinal slot wherein the longitudinal slot allows the guide wire to extend through the longitudinal slot when the anchor is positioned within the dilator, and a driving device which is adapted to engage the proximal end of the anchor.