Bone plates

• US 20050085819A1
• Filed: 08/27/2004
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joel Gillard, Steven P. Horst, Thomas J. Ellis
• Original Assignee: Joel Gillard, Steven P. Horst, Thomas J. Ellis
• Inventors: Horst, Steven P., Gillard, Joel, Ellis, Thomas J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,635,365 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/71
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8076 for the ribs or the sternum
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 606/904 Jaw plate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 606/905 Rib or sternum plate

Abstract

Systems, including methods, apparatus, and kits, for fixing bones, such as rib bones, with bone plates.

Claims

1. A bone plate for fixing a bone, comprising:

a unitary clip portion configured to wrap partially around a bone and including a pair of aligned apertures configured to receive a fastener that extends through the bone between the aligned apertures and locks to the clip portion by engagement with the clip portion at a perimeter of at least one of the aligned apertures.

2. The bone plate of claim 1, wherein at least one of the aligned apertures is elongate.

3. The bone plate of claim 2, wherein each of the aligned apertures is elongate.

4. The bone plate of claim 2, the fastener having a thread, wherein the perimeter of the at least one aperture includes an offset lip configured to engage the thread of the fastener so that the fastener is locked to the clip portion.

5. The bone plate of claim 1, wherein the clip portion includes a pair of opposing arms and a bridge region connecting the opposing arms, and wherein the clip portion is configured to be received from above a rib bone so that the bridge region is disposed adjacent a superior surface of the rib bone.

6. The bone plate of claim 1, wherein the clip portion is generally U-shaped.

7. The bone plate of claim 1, wherein the clip portion has opposing arms, the bone plate further comprising a spanning portion configured to extend along the bone and joined unitarily to the clip portion at least substantially through only one of the opposing arms.

8. The bone plate of claim 7, the clip portion being a first clip portion, further comprising a second clip portion connected to the first clip portion through the spanning portion.

9. The bone plate of claim 7, the clip portion and the spanning portion being included in a first plate component, further comprising a second plate component configured to be secured to the bone and connected to the first plate component via the spanning portion.

10. A bone plate for fixing a bone, comprising:

at least two clip portions, each clip portion having a pair of arms configured so that the clip portion receives the bone between the pair of arms; and

a spanning portion connected to the clip portions at least substantially through only one of the arms of each clip portion and configured to extend along the bone between the at least two clip portions, to span a discontinuity in the bone.

11. A bone plate for fixing bones, comprising:

a first plate component including a first clip portion configured to wrap partially around a bone, and a spanning portion configured to extend from the clip portion along the bone; and

a second plate component configured to be connected to the first plate component via the spanning portion and including a second clip portion configured to wrap partially around the bone.

12. The bone plate of claim 11, wherein each of the first and second clip portions includes a pair of aligned openings configured to receive a threaded fastener that secures the clip portion to the bone.

13. The bone plate of claim 11, wherein the spanning portion and the second clip portion are configured to overlap and abut one another when the first and second plate components are connected to one another.

14. The bone plate of claim 13, wherein each of the second clip portion and the spanning portion includes a pair of openings disposed laterally to one another, and wherein the pairs of openings are configured to be aligned when the first and second plate components are connected to one another.

15. The bone plate of claim 11, wherein each of the first and second clip portions is configured to be disposed adjacent generally opposing surfaces of the bone, and wherein the spanning portion is configured to extend at least substantially along only one of the generally opposing surfaces.

16. The bone plate of claim 11, wherein the spanning portion is unitary with the first clip portion.

17. A bone plate for fixing a bone, comprising:

at least two generally U-shaped clip portions configured to receive a bone so that each clip portion is disposed adjacent generally opposing surfaces of the bone; and

a non-U-shaped spanning portion connecting the at least two clip portions and configured to span a discontinuity in the bone when the clip portions receive the bone.

18. A method of fixing a bone, comprising:

selecting a bone plate having first and second clip portions and a spanning portion; and

securing the first and second clip portions to a bone so that each of the clip portions is disposed adjacent generally opposing surfaces of the bone and so that the spanning portion extends predominantly or exclusively along only one of the generally opposing surfaces to connect the clip portions.

19. The method of claim 18, the bone being a fractured rib bone, further comprising a step of selecting a fractured rib bone to be fixed.

20. A method of fixing a bone, comprising:

selecting first and second plate components;

placing the first and second plate components on a bone so that each plate component is disposed adjacent generally opposing surfaces of the bone; and

securing the first and second plate components to the bone and to each other.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of placing positions a surface of the first plate component against a surface of the second plate component and aligns at least one pair of apertures of the first and second plate components, and wherein the step of securing includes a step of placing a fastener through the at least one pair of apertures and into the bone.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of placing includes a step of placing the first and second plate components onto a rib bone.

23. The method of claim 20, the bone having a discontinuity, wherein the step of placing includes a step of spanning the discontinuity with one or both of the first and second plate components.

24. The method of claim 23, the first plate component including a spanning portion configured to extend along the bone, wherein the step of spanning disposes the spanning portion along at least substantially only one of the generally opposing surfaces of the bone.

25. A method of fixing a bone, comprising:

disposing a unitary clip portion on a bone so that the opposing arms of the clip portion extend at least to generally opposing surfaces of the bone;

placing a threaded fastener through the bone and between aligned apertures of the opposing arms so that a thread of the fastener engages a perimeter of at least one of the aligned apertures to lock the fastener to clip portion; and

compressing the arms against the bone by turning the threaded fastener.

26. A kit for fixing a bone, comprising:

at least one bone plate having first and second clip portions and a spanning portion, and configured to be secured to a bone so that each of the clip portions is disposed adjacent generally opposing surfaces of the bone and so that the spanning portion extends predominantly or exclusively along only one of the generally opposing surfaces to connect the clip portions; and

at least one of a fastener, an instrument for measuring one or more dimensions of the bone, and an instrument for bending at least a portion of at least one of the at least bone plates intraoperatively.