Bone screw and washer insertion tool

A bone screw system comprising:

• a bone screw having a shaft and a head;
• an insertion tool having a cannulated shaft for receiving the bone screw and a first end having an annular recessed area surrounding an open end of the cannulated shaft;
• a plate having a surface thereon for contacting bone, the plate pivotally mounted on an outer surface of the first end of the insertion tool;
• and
• a driver for pushing the bone screw down the cannulated insertion tool shaft and driving it into a bone.

A method for inserting a bone screw into bone comprising:

• obtaining a bone screw insertion system comprising:
• a bone screw having a shaft and a head;
• an insertion tool having a cannulated shaft for receiving the bone screw and a first end having a flat recessed area surrounding an open end of the cannulated shaft;
• a driver for pushing the bone screw down the cannulated shaft and driving it into a bone;
• inserting a washer onto the recessed area of the insertion tool;
• compressing a bone fracture with the insertion tool shaft first end;
• drilling a hole in the bone with a drill extending through the cannulated shaft while the bone fracture is compressed;
• inserting the bone screw through the insertion tool cannulated shaft into the drilled hole while maintaining the compression;
• driving the bone screw shaft into the bone with the driver;
• and
• picking up the washer with the bone screw head prior to fully driving the bone screw into the bone.

A bone screw insertion system comprising:

• a bone screw having a head and a shaft;
• an annular washer adapted to be mounted on the bone screw shaft;
• an inserter having a longitudinally extending shaft with an axial bore therethrough for receiving the bone screw, the shaft having a first end with a washer retention means surrounding the inserter shaft bore, the washer retention means positioning the washer to receive the bone screw shaft;
• and
• wherein the inserter shaft first end has a part-spherical outer surface with a bone contacting plate mounted on the first end part-spherical outer surface, the plate having a bore with an angled surface which is rotatable on the part-spherical outer surface.

A bone screw insertion system comprising:

• a bone screw having a head and a shaft;
• a flat annular washer adapted to be mounted on the bone screw shaft, the flat annular washer having a single constant diameter bore therethrough, the annular washer bore diameter corresponding in size to the diameter of the bone screw shaft;
• and
• an inserter having a longitudinally extending shaft with an axial bore therethrough for receiving the bone screw, the shaft having a first end with a washer retention means surrounding the inserter shaft bore, the washer retention means positioning the flat annular washer to receive the bone screw shaft.