BONE PLATE SYSTEM
In one aspect, a bone plate system is provided that includes a bone plate body having a throughbore and a bone screw. The bone plate system includes a slider slidably connected to the bone plate body to slide between a clearance position wherein the slider permits a bone screw head portion to be advanced into the throughbore and seated against the bone plate body and an interference position wherein the slider inhibits bone screw back out from the throughbore. The bone plate system includes a resilient pin and the slider has a surface configured to deflect the resilient pin as the bone screw head portion shifts the slider from the interference position toward the clearance position. The deflected resilient pin urges the slider from the clearance position toward the interference position upon the bone anchor head portion seating against the bone plate body in the throughbore.
1 - 29 . (canceled)
30 . A method of assembling a bone plate, the method comprising:
positioning a slider and a resilient member in a throughbore of a bone plate body;
advancing the slider and resilient member toward a receptacle of the bone plate body for the slider;
engaging opposite side portions of the resilient member with retainer portions of the bone plate body to urge the side portions of the resilient retainer together and deform the resilient member as the slider advances into the receptacle of the bone plate body; and
permitting the side portions of the resilient member to resiliently shift apart upon the side portions being advanced beyond the retainer portions of the bone plate body.
31 . The method of claim 30 wherein positioning the slider and the resilient member in the throughbore includes positioning the slider and the resilient member in the throughbore with the resilient member extending in a through opening of the slider.
32 . The method of claim 30 wherein engaging the opposite side portions of the resilient member with the retainer portions of the bone plate body includes sliding the opposite side portions of the resilient member along tapered surfaces of the retainer portions of the bone plate body.
33 . The method of claim 30 wherein permitting the side portions of the resilient member to resiliently shift apart upon the side portions being advanced beyond the retainer portions of the bone plate body includes permitting the side portions to snap into recesses of the bone plate body.
34 . The method of claim 30 wherein the resilient member includes a pin having opposite end portions and an intermediate portion; and
wherein engaging the opposite side portions of the resilient member with the retainer portions of the bone plate body to urge the side portions of the resilient retainer together includes engaging surfaces of the pin end portions with the retainer portions of the bone plate body while pressing a surface of the slider against the intermediate portion of the pin.