Abstract: An anterior spinal plate includes a plate body having a longitudinal extent to span between vertebral bodies. At least one end portion of the plate body is configured to substantially conform to the anterior surface of a vertebral body, and at least one end portion defines a screw hole. The screw hole is positioned relative to a positioning guide such that in use, with the positioning guide against an end plate of a vertebral body and a screw received through the screw hole engaging the vertebral body at an angle of greater than about 20 degrees along the cephalad/caudal axis, the end portion defining the screw hole extends less than about 7 mm along the cephalad/caudal axis of the vertebral body.

Abstract: A sponge refractory metal product, especially a zirconium metal sponge, that retains a residual quantity of magnesium chloride following subjection to an initial, conventional, distillation cycle is reprocessed by the addition of virgin magnesium in amount normally within the range of about 20% to about 60% of the weight of such sponge metal product and by passing it through re-distillation, including the steps of melting the added virgin magnesium and the sponge metal to open the otherwise closed pores thereof, lowering furnace temperature to solidify the molten magnesium, raising the temperature to vaporize and remove from the furnace the magnesium metal, and again raising the temperature to vaporize and remove from the furnace the initially entrapped magnesium chloride. Thereafter, it is preferable that the temperature be again raised to sinter together any loose particles of the sponge metal. It is believed that a eutectic of the sponge metal is formed during the process.