A device for setting a spline.

The present invention relates to a device for setting a spline having damaged vertebras, comprising an anchoring element including a shaft portion (16) to be attached to spaced vertebras, the free end of said anchoring element including a slot (24) for receiving a distracting or, respectively, compressing bar (40), and a cap nut (42) to be screwed onto an outer thread (32) provided in the region of the receiving slot to urge an axial fixing portion (44) towards the bar received in said receiving slot. The invention is defined in that the receiving slot (24) is formed in a separate swiwel head (20) including an inner end in the shape of a ball receiving portion (24) which has an aperture (28) through which said shaft portion (16;52) of the anchoring element (10;50) extends, wherein the diameter of the shaft portion adjacent said aperture is smaller than that of said aperture (28), and that a ball head (14;56) is provided at the end of the shaft portion (16;52), said ball head having a diameter larger than that of said aperture (28) and said ball head (14;56) in the ball receiving portion (24) entering the terminal region of said receiving slot (24).