Pancarpal arthrodesis bone plate

An arthrodesis bone plate configured to be attached to a carpal region of a patient, the arthrodesis bone plate comprising:

• a bone plate body that is elongate along a longitudinal direction, the bone plate body defining a bone-facing inner surface and an opposed outer surface that is spaced from the inner surface along a transverse direction, the bone plate body including a proximal portion and a distal portion that is spaced from the proximal portion along the longitudinal direction that is substantially perpendicular to the transverse direction, the proximal portion configured to be disposed over a radius of the carpal region, the distal portion configured to be disposed over metacarpal bones of the carpal region;
• wherein 1) the bone plate body defines a plurality of apertures that extend from the outer surface to the inner surface at the distal region, a group of the plurality of apertures spaced from one another along a lateral direction that is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal and transverse directions, such that each aperture of the group is substantially aligned with at least a respective different one of at least four different metacarpal bones when the distal portion is disposed over the metacarpal bones and the proximal portion is disposed over the radius, and 2) each of the apertures includes a first portion and a second portion that is open to the first portion, the first portion offset with respect to the second portion, each of the first and second portions of each aperture of the group configured to singly receive a bone anchor so as to attach the distal portion of the bone plate body to the respective four different metacarpal bones, the bone plate body further defining a neck that is connected between the first and second portions of each aperture, the neck defining at least one substantially flat surface that is substantially planar along the first direction.

A method of bone fixation, comprising the steps of:

• placing a bone plate onto a carpal region of a patient, the bone plate including a bone plate body that defines a proximal portion, a distal portion that is spaced from the proximal portion along a longitudinal direction, a plurality of apertures extending through the distal portion, each of the apertures including a first portion and a second portion that is spaced from the first portion and open to the first portion, each of the first and second portions configured and sized to individually receive a bone anchor;
• positioning the bone plate body on the carpal region such that the proximal portion overlays at least a portion of a radius of the carpal region and the distal portion overlays at least four metacarpal bones;
• identifying a select one of the first and second portions of at least one of the apertures to receive a bone anchor;
• and
• inserting the bone anchor through the identified select one of the first and second portions of the at least one of the apertures so as to attach the distal portion to at least one of the metacarpal bones.