Flexible plate fixation of bone fractures

• US 10,070,905 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2015
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zimmer Incorporated (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Zimmer Incorporated (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bottlang, Michael, Madey, Steven M., Wirtz, Kyle, Tsai, Stanley
• Primary Examiner(s): Ku, Si Ming
• Application Number:
  US14/808,773
• Publication Number:
  US 20150327896A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,145 Days
• Field of Search: 606280-299, 606 70, 606 71
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8028 Cushions, i.e. elements forming interface between bone plate and bone
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8047 wherein the additional element surrounds the screw head in the plate hole A61B17/8052 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8052 immobilised relative to screws by interlocking form of the heads and plate holes, e.g. conical or threaded
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8057 the interlocking form comprising a thread
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/808 Instruments for holding or positioning bone plates, or for adjusting screw-to-plate locking mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/86 Pins or screws or threaded wires; nuts therefor A61B17/72 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00221 with wireless transmission of data, e.g. by infrared radiation or radiowaves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00862 elastic or resilient for sutures A61B2017/0618
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/064 for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/065 for measuring contact or contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/066 for measuring torque
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0219 of externally powered implanted units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/06 Measuring instruments not otherwise provided for

Abstract

A device can be provided that includes a bone plate having an upper surface and a bone-facing surface, wherein the bone plate includes one or more openings extending through the bone plate from the upper surface to the bone-facing surface, and one or more sliding elements each including a fastener receiving hole. The one or more openings can at least partially surround a periphery of one of the receiving holes. Further, the one or more openings can be at least partially filled with an elastomer to support elastic suspension of the one or more sliding elements in the bone plate, thereby enabling relative displacement between the one or more sliding elements and the bone plate. At least one sensor can also be provided that is operable to assess a dynamic parameter of one of the one or more sliding elements within the bone plate.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a bone plate having an upper surface and a bone-facing surface, the bone plate comprising one or more openings extending through the bone plate from the upper surface to the bone-facing surface;

one or more sliding elements, each sliding element including a fastener receiving hole, wherein the one or more openings at least partially surround a periphery of one of the receiving holes, and wherein the one or more openings are at least partially filled with an elastomer to support elastic suspension of the one or more sliding elements in the bone plate, thereby enabling relative displacement between the one or more sliding elements and the bone plate;

at least one sensor operable to assess a dynamic parameter of one of the one or more sliding elements within the bone plate;

a receiver element located external to the bone plate; and

a transmission element operably coupled to the sensor, the transmission element configured to communicate with the receiver element.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor is operable to track a relative position of the sliding element relative to the bone plate.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor is operable to measure displacement of the sliding element relative to the bone plate.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor is operable to measure pressure within the elastomer that is suspending the sliding element in the bone plate.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the sensor is positioned at least partially within the elastomer.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor is operable to measure pressure applied to the bone plate by the elastomer that is suspending the sliding element in the bone plate.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor is self-powered.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor is powered by an external power source.

9. A bone plate, comprising:

a plate body having an upper surface and a bone-facing surface;

a plurality of openings extending through the plate body from the upper surface to the bone-facing surface;

one or more sliding elements each including a fastener receiving hole, each of the one or more sliding elements positioned within a different one of the openings such that the opening at least partially surrounds a periphery of the receiving hole;

an elastomer layer at least partially surrounding each of the one or more sliding elements, thereby enabling relative displacement of the sliding element within the plate body;

one or more sensors operable to assess a dynamic parameter of the one or more sliding elements within the plate body;

a receiver element located external to the bone plate; and

a transmission element operably coupled to the sensor, the transmission element configured to communicate with the receiver element.

10. The bone plate of claim 9, wherein each receiving hole is a threaded receiving hole.

11. The bone plate of claim 10, wherein each receiving hole is cylindrical.

12. The bone plate of claim 9, wherein the elastomer layer has a modulus of elasticity in the range of 0.1-50 MPa.

13. The bone plate of claim 9, wherein the elastomer layer is silicone.

14. The bone plate of claim 9, wherein the one or more sensors are operable to measure displacement, pressure, or load to capture a presence or magnitude of load transfer between the sensor and the plate body as a means for estimating the progression of fracture healing.

15. The bone plate of claim 9, wherein at least one elastomer layer includes an energy generation element to supply transient power to the one or more sensors.

16. The bone plate of claim 9, wherein the one or more sensors are powered by an external power source.

17. The bone plate of claim 9, further comprising one or more accelerometers to determine acceleration of the plate body or one or more of the sliding elements.

18. The bone plate of claim 17, comprising a first accelerometer operably coupled to the plate body and a second accelerometer operably coupled to one of the sliding elements.

19. The bone plate of claim 18, wherein the first and second accelerometers provide feedback to determine a relative acceleration of the sliding element with respect to the plate body.

20. A device, comprising:

a bone plate having an upper surface and a bone-facing surface, the bone plate comprising one or more openings extending through the bone plate from the upper surface to the bone-facing surface;

one or more sliding elements, each sliding element including a fastener receiving hole, wherein the one or more openings at least partially surround a periphery of one of the receiving holes, and wherein the one or more openings are at least partially filled with an elastomer to support elastic suspension of the one or more sliding elements in the bone plate, thereby enabling relative displacement between the one or more sliding elements and the bone plate;

at least one sensor operable to measure at least one of displacement, pressure, or load to capture a presence or magnitude of load transfer between the sensor and the bone plate and to estimate the progression of fracture healing;

a receiver element located external to the bone plate; and

a transmission element operably coupled to the sensor, the transmission element configured to communicate with the receiver element.