Apparatus and Methods for Repairing Craniomaxillofacial Bones Using Customized Bone Plates

A device for adjoining at least two bone fragments comprising:

• a delivery catheter having an elongated shaft with a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis therebetween;
• a conformable bone pad releasably engaging to the distal end of the delivery catheter, the conformable bone pad defining an inner space in communication with an inner void of the delivery catheter for passage of at least one filling material into the inner space and in communication with an inner lumen of the delivery catheter for passage of an optical fiber into the inner space to transmit light from a light source into the inner space for hardening the at least one filling material in the inner space of the conformable bone pad;
• an opening at a proximal end of the conformable bone pad so the optical fiber passes into the inner space along a major longitudinal axis of conformable bone pad;
• and
• at least one aperture extending through the conformable bone pad along a minor longitudinal axis transverse to the major longitudinal axis of the conformable bone pad for receiving a fastener through the conformable bone pad.

A method for adjoining at least two bone fragments comprising:

• providing a device for adjoining at least two bone fragments, the device including a conformable bone pad engaged to a delivery catheter having an elongated shaft with a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis therebetween, wherein the conformable bone pad has at least one aperture extending from a first surface of the conformable bone pad to a second surface of the conformable bone pad for receiving a fastener to affix the bone pad to the at least two bone fragments;
• positioning the conformable bone pad over an exterior surface spanning the at least two bone fragments;
• attaching a delivery system housing at least one filling material to the delivery catheter, wherein the elongated shaft of the delivery catheter has an inner void for passage of the at least one filling material to the conformable bone pad;
• inserting a light fiber into the delivery catheter, wherein the elongated shaft of the delivery catheter has an inner lumen for passage of the light fiber into the conformable bone pad;
• infusing the at least one filling material through the elongated shaft of the delivery catheter and into the conformable bone pad to expand the conformable bone pad;
• activating the light source to harden the at least one filling material in the expanded conformable bone pad;
• releasing the hardened conformable bone pad from the delivery catheter;
• and
• affixing the conformable bone pad to the exterior surfaces of the at least two bone fragments to adjoin the bone fragments.