Bone plate with pre-assembled drill guide tips
AssigneeDePuy Products, Inc.
InventorsJavier Castaneda, Jorge Orbay, William Doyle, Robert Graham
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Removable drill guide tips are pre-assembled into threaded holes of a bone plate. The tips may be used with an extension to together function as a conventional drill guide. After drilling, the extension or another tool is used to remove the tips from the plate. According to another use, the tip is used as a guide for a drill bit without any additional extension and then removed with a tool.
Claims26
A bone plate system for use with fasteners which each have a shaft and a threaded head, said system, comprising:
- a) a bone plate having a plurality of threaded holes for receiving the fasteners, said threaded holes having respective axes;
- and
- b) a plurality of removable drill guide tips assembled in said threaded boles in alignment with said axes.
A method of implanting a bone plate, comprising:
- a) providing a bone plate having a plurality of threaded holes and drill guide tips assembled in said threaded holes;
- b) positioning the plate on a bone after said drill guide tips are assembled in said threaded holes;
- c) positioning a drill bit through the drill guide tips and drilling holes in alignment therewith into the bone;
- d) removing the drill guide tips from the plate;
- and
- e) inserting fasteners into the threaded holes and drilled holes.
A bone plate system, comprising:
- a) a bone plate having a plurality of threaded holes;
- and
- b) a plurality of removable tubular elements each having a first end assembled in one of said threaded holes, said tubular elements having an end opposite said first end which is located not more than approximately 0.25 inch from a surface of said bone plate opposite a bone contacting surface.
A bone plate system, comprising:
- a) a bone plate having a plurality of threaded holes each defining an axis;
- and
- b) a plurality of removable tubular elements each having a first end assembled in) one of said threaded holes in alignment with the axis of the respective threaded hole, said tubular elements having an interior surface which includes at least one corner.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.