A surgical fixation system including a pair of spinal rods, an occipital fixationelement (comprising either an occipital plate or a plurality of occipital anchors),a crosslink connector, and a plurality of anchor elements, including but notlimited to friction-fit pedicle screws, favored-angle pedicle screws, andlaminar hooks. Any or all of these elements may be made of a biologically inertmaterial, preferably any metal customarily used for surgical devices, suchas for example titanium or stainless steel. The surgical fixation system of thepresent invention is described herein for application to the posterior regionof the human spine, for attachment to cervical and/or thoracic vertebrae, aswell as the occiput portion of the skull.
