Spinal fixation system having locking and unlocking devices for use with a multi-planar, taper lock screw

1. A spinal fixation system comprising:

a connecting rod;

a taper lock screw including:

a screw including a shaft and a superiorly positioned screw head;

an inner housing including unlocking tool receptors; and

an outer housing circumferentially disposed around at least a portion of the inner housing, the outer housing including a proximal, circumferentially disposed, outwardly directed flange, wherein the outer and inner housings are translatable relative to one another to cause transitioning of the taper lock screw between a locked position and an unlocked position, wherein upper surfaces of the connecting rod and the flange are substantially coplanar when the taper lock screw is in the locked position to support the rod within the inner housing;

a locking device releasably connectable to and operationally interactable with the flange; and

an unlocking device releasably connectable to and operationally interactable with the flange.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the uppermost surfaces of the flange and the connecting rod are substantially coplanar with an uppermost surface of the inner housing when the taper lock screw is in the locked position.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein upper surfaces of the connecting rod, the flange, the outer housing, and the inner housing are substantially coplanar when the taper lock screw is in the locked position.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the locking device further comprises a locking device housing and a locking device push rod, the locking device push rod slidably contained within the locking device housing.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the push rod is configured to hold the connecting rod within the inner housing while the locking device interacts with the flange to pull the outer housing upward relative to the inner housing and transition the taper lock screw to the locked position.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the unlocking device further comprises an unlocking device housing and an unlocking device outer sleeve, wherein the unlocking device housing includes distally disposed grasping elements connectable to the unlocking tool receptors and the outer sleeve is configured to forcibly push the outer housing downward relative to the inner housing to unlock the taper lock screw.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the outer housing is positionable relative to the inner housing to compress the outer housing against the inner housing sufficiently to lock the taper lock screw while permitting movement of the connecting rod within the inner housing.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the taper lock screw is a multi-planar screw.

9. A taper lock screw comprising:

a screw including a shaft and a superiorly positioned screw head;

an inner housing including an uppermost portion;

an outer housing including an uppermost portion, the outer housing circumferentially disposed around at least a portion of the inner housing and slidably movable relative to the inner housing to secure a connecting rod within the inner housing; and

an annular flange projecting outwardly from the uppermost portion of the outer housing, the annular flange having an uppermost portion, wherein the inner and outer housings are slidably translatable relative to one another to cause transitioning of the taper lock screw between a locked position and an unlocked position, wherein the uppermost portions of the connecting rod, the inner housing, and the outer housing are substantially coplanar when the taper lock screw is in the locked position.

10. The taper lock screw of claim 9 , wherein the flange is positioned to overhang a circumferentially defined annular gripping groove that is configured to facilitate grasping contact of a grasping tool for facilitating locking of the taper lock screw.

11. The taper lock screw of claim 9 , wherein the flange is positioned to overhang an annular gripping groove circumferentially defined in an outer surface of at least a portion of the outer housing.

12. The taper lock screw of claim 9 , wherein an articulation recess is defined in a lower portion of the inner housing, and wherein the articulation recess is dimensioned and configured to retain the screw head of the screw within the inner housing while allowing the screw head to rotate within the articulation recess.

13. The taper lock screw of claim 12 , wherein the articulation recess includes at least one contact surface positioned against the screw head.

14. The taper lock screw of claim 9 , wherein the outer housing is slidable relative to the inner housing to contact the inner housing with sufficient compressive force to contact and secure the connecting rod placed within the inner housing.

15. The taper lock screw of claim 9 , wherein the outer housing is positionable relative to the inner housing to compress the outer housing against the inner housing to transition the taper lock screw to a partially locked position sufficiently locking the taper lock screw while permitting movement of the connecting rod within the inner housing.