Bone plate, bone plate system, and method of use thereof

Abstract

The bone plate includes a plate body and at least one tab. The plate body defines an inner body surface configured to face the underlying bone, an outer body surface opposite the inner body surface, and an outer surface extending between the inner body surface and the outer body surface. The outer surface defines an outer periphery of the plate body. The at least one tab includes a head and an arm extending from the plate body to the head. The tab extends through the head and defines a tab hole configured to receive a bone anchor. The bone anchor can be coupled to a threaded hole in the nail. The arm is configured to deflect relative to the plate body to move the head between a pre-locked position and a locked position spaced from the pre-locked position.

Claims

1. It is a bone plate, A plate body comprising an inner body surface configured to face the bone below, an outer body surface opposite to the inner body surface, and an outer surface extending between the inner body surface and the outer body surface, wherein the outer surface defines the outer circumference of the plate body, A plate comprising at least one tab, wherein the at least one tab includes a head and an arm extending from the plate body to the head, the tab defining a tab hole that extends through the head and is configured to receive a bone anchor body. The arm is configured to deflect relative to the plate body so as to move the head between a pre-fixation position and a fixed position spaced apart from the pre-fixation position. The arm includes a first tapered portion and a second tapered portion, the first tapered portion being located adjacent to the plate body, the outer arm surface within the first tapered portion being tapered in the outward direction, the outward direction being opposite to the inward direction, the inner arm surface within the first tapered portion being tapered in the inward direction, and the thickness of the arm within the first tapered portion being greater than the thickness of the arm along the length of the arm between the first tapered portion and the second tapered portion. A bone plate wherein the second tapered portion is located adjacent to the head, the outer arm surface within the second tapered portion is tapered in the outward direction, the inner arm surface within the second tapered portion is tapered in the inward direction, and the thickness of the arm within the second tapered portion is greater than the thickness of the arm along the length of the arm between the first tapered portion and the second tapered portion.

2. 1) The outer main body surface is located on the opposite side of the inner main body surface in the lateral direction and is separated from the inner main body surface by a first distance in the lateral direction so as to define the thickness of the plate body; and 2) The inner arm surface is configured to face the bone below, and the outer arm surface is located on the opposite side of the inner arm surface in the lateral direction and is separated from the inner arm surface by a second distance so as to define an arm thickness smaller than the thickness of the plate body, according to claim 1.

3. The bone plate according to claim 2, wherein the head defines an inner head surface configured to face the bone below and an outer head surface opposite to the inner head surface, the head defines a head thickness from the inner head surface to the outer head surface, and the head thickness is equal to the thickness of the plate body.

4. The bone plate according to claim 3, wherein the inner arm surface is oriented along the lateral direction and is separated from the outer arm surface in the inward direction, and the outer arm surface is offset from the outer body surface in the inward direction.

5. The bone plate according to claim 4, wherein the outer arm surface is offset in the inward direction with respect to the outer head surface, and the inner arm surface is continuous with the inner head surface.

6. The bone plate according to claim 4, wherein the inner arm surface is continuous with the inner body surface when the tab is in the pre-fixation position.

7. The bone plate according to claim 1, wherein the arm is deformable such that the fixed position of the head is offset in the inward direction with respect to the pre-fixed position of the head.

8. The bone plate according to claim 1, wherein the arm extends along a central axis from the plate body to the head, and the arm is configured to twist around the central axis so as to move the head from the pre-fixing position to the fixed position.

9. The bone plate according to claim 1, wherein the arm responds to a force that deflects the arm, thereby moving the head from the pre-fixation position to the fixed position, and the force is insufficient to deflect the plate body when applied to the plate body.

10. The bone plate according to claim 1, wherein the tab hole of the first tab among the at least one tab has a first cross-sectional dimension, the tab hole of the second tab among the at least one tab has a second cross-sectional dimension, and the first cross-sectional dimension is different from the second cross-sectional dimension.

11. The bone plate according to claim 1, wherein the plate body and the at least one tab are integrally formed together as a single, integrally molded part.

12. The bone plate according to claim 1, wherein at least one body hole extending through the plate body is defined, and one of the at least one body hole is configured to receive a bone plate holder.

13. The bone plate according to claim 1, wherein the tab hole includes a multi-lobe receiving element configured to receive a multi-lobe connecting element of a bone plate adjustment tool, and the bone plate adjustment tool is configured to apply a deflection force to the arm that deflects the head from the pre-fixation position to the fixed position.

14. A bone plate system, The bone plate according to claim 13, A bone plate system comprising the bone plate adjustment tool described in claim 13.

15. The bone plate system according to claim 14, further comprising a bone plate holder configured to receive bone plate holes extending through the plate body from the outer body surface to the inner body surface.

16. The bone plate system according to claim 15, wherein the tab hole further includes threaded portions circumferentially separated around the tab hole, the threaded portions having a plurality of threaded sections, each threaded section being circumferentially separated by at least one of the lobes of the multi-lobe receiving element by each of the other threaded sections.

17. The bone plate system according to claim 15, wherein the tab hole further includes a threaded portion that extends continuously in the circumferential direction around the tab hole.

18. The aforementioned at least one tab includes a first tab and a second tab, The bone plate according to claim 1, wherein the plate body defines first, second, third, and fourth threaded bone anchor holes that extend through the plate body from the outer body surface to the inner body surface, respectively.

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