Self-locking resorbable screws and plates for internal fixation of bone fractures and tendon-to-bone attachment

An absorbable bone plate with an upper surface, a lower surface for contacting bone, a longitudinal axis and a plurality of screw holes located along said axis for use with an absorbable bone screw having a head portion and a shaft portion, said head portion having an outer surface being a three dimensional structure running generally in the longitudinal direction, wherein said head portion increases in diameter in the direction opposite to said shaft portion, in which the inner surface of said screw holes is provided with a three-dimensional structure running generally longitudinally in the direction of the screw holes' axes corresponding to said three-dimensional structure on said outer surface of said head portion of said bone screw to permit self-locking of said two three-dimensional structures.

A bone screw/bone plate system comprising

• a plurality of absorbable bone screws having a threaded shaft portion for insertion into bone and a head portion for rigid connection in the screw hold of a bone plate, said screw hole having an axis, the diameter of said head portion increasing in the direction opposite to said shaft portion over at least a portion of the length of said head portion and in which at least a part of the outer surface of said head portion has a three-dimensional structure;
• and
• an absorbable bone plate with an upper surface, a lower surface for contacting bone, a longitudinal axis and a plurality of screw holes located along said longitudinal axis for receiving said absorbable bone screws, said screws holes having three-dimensional structure running generally in the direction of the screw hole axis.