Minimally invasive rib fracture repair

An adjustable rib plate apparatus, comprising:

• a center plate having an elongated body with opposing sides that are generally planar, the opposing sides having a periphery defined by opposing side edges and opposing end, the center plate comprising elongated first and second sliding holes, each near a respective opposing end of the center plate and each having a linear channel extending parallel to the opposing side edges;
• a first outer plate, the first outer plate having an elongated body with opposing sides that are generally planar, the opposing sides having a periphery defined by opposing side edges and opposing ends, the first outer plate comprising a plurality of screw holes extending between the opposing sides;
• a second outer plate, the second outer plate having an elongated body with opposing sides that are generally planar, the opposing sides having a periphery defined by opposing side edges and opposing ends, the second outer plate comprising a plurality of screw holes extending between the opposing sides;
• a first axle that secures the first outer plate in the first sliding hole and permits movement of the first outer plate relative to the center plate within the linear channel of the sliding hole and rotationally about the sliding hole;
• and
• a second axle that secures the second outer plate in the second sliding hole and permits movement of the second outer plate relative to the center plate within the linear channel of the sliding hole and rotationally about the sliding hole.

A method for rib fracture fixation, comprising the steps of:

• providing an adjustable rib plate apparatus with an elongated center plate and first and second elongated outer plates, the outer plates having a body extending between first and second opposing ends, the first ends being attached to but movable relative to the center plate in a two dimensional plane associated with the center plate;
• installing a pair of bone screws with detachable guidance cables on each of two bone fragments on separate sides of a fracture;
• installing removable first and second alignment cable loops with slip knots on the adjustable rib plate apparatus by extending the first loop around a part of the first outer plate and the center plate and the second loop around a part of the second outer plate and the center plate;
• guiding the outer plates with respective guidance cables to respective destinations on the bone fragments;
• guiding locking screws using respective guidance cables to respective heads of respective bone screws and securing the locking screws to the heads while also securing the outer plates to the bone fragments;
• aligning the center plate with the outer plates as well as aligning the bone fragments of the fracture by pulling the on the first and second alignment cable loops;
• and
• installing additional bone screws in the first and second outer plates to fully fixate the fracture.