Design of an occipito-cervical fixation device

Metal plates may be used to stabilize the cervical spine. The plates are at tached to the posterior of the vertebra by placing screws into the lateral masses. The plating may be extended, in the form of rod or plate, to connec t with and support the occiput. Several problems, such as screw loosening a nd the plate obscuring the surgeon's view as a screw is being inserted, hav e been identified with present plate systems, This paper describes the init ial design for a cervical fixation device to overcome these problems, and t he design and development that was undertaken to enable a prototype device to be manufactured.