US Patent 7288095 Bone plate with screw lock

A bone plate for stabilizing adjacent vertebrae or ends of a bone has a span for extending across the discontinuity. The span has brackets for attaching to the bone. The brackets have countersunk bores terminating in apertures through which bone screws are placed in the bone. A lock screw aperture is located adjacent the countersunk bores with a portion of the sidewall forming a thin flexible tab in each bore. To prevent back-out of the bone screws, a lock screw is threaded into the lock screw aperture distorting the bore of the bone screw aperture.