Drill guide with angle verification

A method for inserting a bone screw through a hole in a bone plate and into bone at a maximum angulation of a bone screw central longitudinal axis with respect to a central axis of the hole, comprising:

• placing a bone plate having at least one screw hole surrounded by a counterbore on an outwardly facing surface of the bone plate on a bone surface;
• inserting an instrument having a distal end including a gauge element, the gauge element spaced proximally from an end surface of the distal end into the counterbore surrounding the plate hole, the spacing less than or equal to a distance from the counterbore surface to the outwardly facing surface of the bone plate;
• tilting the inserted instrument with respect to a central axis of the bone plate hole to an angle wherein the gauge element remains at or below the outwardly facing surface of the bone plate adjacent the counterbore;
• drilling a hole in the bone through a guide bore in the instrument;
• removing the instrument from the bone plate;
• and
• inserting a bone screw into the bone plate screw hole.