9. A polyaxial spinal bone screw assembly for receiving and fixing placement of a longitudinal connecting member, the assembly comprising: a) a bone screw shank having a body integral with a shank upper structure, the shank upper structure having a top first surface that is convex spherically shaped and having a first radius, a lower second surface that is convex partially spherically shaped and having a second radius, a third annular surface extending outwardly from the top first surface and terminating at the lower second surface and one and up to a plurality of concave surface features formed in the lower second and the annular third surfaces; b) a receiver having a pair of arms forming a channel, the receiver also having a cavity with a concave partially spherically shaped surface adapted to allow pivotal movement of the top first and the lower second surfaces of the shank during positioning and a lower opening to an exterior of the receiver opposite the pair of arms, the cavity communicating with the channel, the cavity further defined by a lower seat and an expansion area located above the lower seat, the shank upper structure being uploaded and received in the cavity through the lower opening; c) an open and resilient ring-like retainer receivable in the cavity and outwardly biased against the receiver in fixed relation thereto at the lower seat of the receiver when the shank upper structure is in the receiver, the retainer expanding about the shank upper structure when the shank upper structure is loaded into the receiver through the lower opening and having a retainer surface sized and shaped to operationally frictionally engage the lower second surface of the shank and retain the shank upper structure within the cavity, the shank upper structure sized and shaped to extend above the retainer with the top first surface of the shank receiving direct downward force from contact with the longitudinal connecting member so as to lock an angular position of the receiver relative to the shank, the assembly having an unlocked position wherein the shank upper structure is in sliding, pivotable relation with the retainer and a locked position wherein the lower second surface is in fixed frictional engagement with the retainer surface; and wherein d) when in an unlocked position a portion of the rod may be received in an area defined by one of the one and up to a plurality of concave surface features to provide an increased angle of articulation between the shank and the receiver and another portion of the rod may then be fixed into locking engagement with the top first convex surface of the shank.
9. A polyaxial spinal bone screw assembly for receiving and fixing placement of a longitudinal connecting member, the assembly comprising: a) a bone screw shank having a body integral with a shank upper structure, the shank upper structure having a top first surface that is convex spherically shaped and having a first radius, a lower second surface that is convex partially spherically shaped and having a second radius, a third annular surface extending outwardly from the top first surface and terminating at the lower second surface and one and up to a plurality of concave surface features formed in the lower second and the annular third surfaces; b) a receiver having a pair of arms forming a channel, the receiver also having a cavity with a concave partially spherically shaped surface adapted to allow pivotal movement of the top first and the lower second surfaces of the shank during positioning and a lower opening to an exterior of the receiver opposite the pair of arms, the cavity communicating with the channel, the cavity further defined by a lower seat and an expansion area located above the lower seat, the shank upper structure being uploaded and received in the cavity through the lower opening; c) an open and resilient ring-like retainer receivable in the cavity and outwardly biased against the receiver in fixed relation thereto at the lower seat of the receiver when the shank upper structure is in the receiver, the retainer expanding about the shank upper structure when the shank upper structure is loaded into the receiver through the lower opening and having a retainer surface sized and shaped to operationally frictionally engage the lower second surface of the shank and retain the shank upper structure within the cavity, the shank upper structure sized and shaped to extend above the retainer with the top first surface of the shank receiving direct downward force from contact with the longitudinal connecting member so as to lock an angular position of the receiver relative to the shank, the assembly having an unlocked position wherein the shank upper structure is in sliding, pivotable relation with the retainer and a locked position wherein the lower second surface is in fixed frictional engagement with the retainer surface; and wherein d) when in an unlocked position a portion of the rod may be received in an area defined by one of the one and up to a plurality of concave surface features to provide an increased angle of articulation between the shank and the receiver and another portion of the rod may then be fixed into locking engagement with the top first convex surface of the shank. 12. The polyaxial spinal bone screw assembly of claim 9 wherein the retainer is up-loadable into the cavity.