The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 08, 2016
Filed:
Jan. 10, 2012
Stephen Hochschuler, Paradise Valley, AZ (US);
Matthew N. Songer, Marquette, MI (US);
Stephen Hochschuler, Paradise Valley, AZ (US);
Matthew N. Songer, Marquette, MI (US);
Frontier Medical Devices, Inc., Gwinn, MI (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus for stabilizing first and second adjacent bone portions. The method includes the steps of: providing a spacer; providing a stabilizer, with the spacer and stabilizer configured to be movable guidingly, one relative to the other, between a pre-assembly relationship and an operative relationship; and placing the spacer and stabilizer into an operative relationship with the first and second adjacent bone portions. As an incident of the spacer and stabilizer being changed from their pre-assembly relationship into the operative relationship with each other and the first and second bone portions, the spacer, stabilizer and first bone portion cooperate to cause the first bone portion and spacer to be urged towards each other. The method may be carried out by moving the stabilizer and spacer, and all auxiliary parts and handling and assembling instruments, substantially in a single plane along one line or parallel lines.