Bones and bony structures are susceptible to a variety of weaknesses that can affect their ability to provide support and structure. Weaknesses in bony structures may have many causes, including degenerative diseases, tumors, fractures, and dislocations. Advances in medicine and engineering have provided doctors with a plurality of devices and techniques for alleviating or curing these weaknesses. Typically, weaknesses in the spine are corrected by using devises that fuse one or more vertebrae together.
One method of correcting the weaknesses in the spine is to use a posterior cervical fixation system that does not only include spinal level fusion, but can also include fusion to the occipital bone on the back of the skull. In order to connect spinal rods to the occipital bone on the skull from the spinal column, surgeons can either bend straight spinal rods to meet the occipital contours and angles or further bend a pre-bent spinal rod, where the spinal rod can be provided in multiple pre-bent angles. However, contouring the spinal rod to meet the desired angles and contours can be a difficult and time consuming process. There is a need for an improved posterior cervical fixation system that can be easily installed and adjusted.