Aiming arm for bone plates

• US 20060095044A1
• Filed: 11/03/2004
• Published: 05/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synthes USA LLC (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Synthes USA LLC (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Grady, Mark P. Jr., Mayo, Keith A., Mast, Jeff W., Bolhofner, Brett R., DiDomenico, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 8,043,297 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/96
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1728 for holes for bone plates or plate screws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8014 the extension or compression force being caused by interaction of the plate hole and the screws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8057 the interlocking form comprising a thread

Abstract

An aiming guide aligns a surgical tool with a hole in a bone plate. The aiming guide includes an arm portion having a longitudinal axis, top and bottom surfaces, and first and second ends. The aiming guide further includes a handle portion having upper and lower ends. The handle portion is, at its lower end, connected to the bone plate. The handle portion is, at its upper end, connected to the arm portion. Bores extend from the top surface to the lower surface of the arm portion. Each bore is configured and dimensioned to receive a tool guide in at least two different preset positions which locates the channel in at least two different hole positions. The bore includes two diametrically opposed slots extending along at least a portion of a length of the bore, the slots configured and dimensioned to mate with diametrically opposed knobs extending radially outward from a tool guide. The tool guide has a head and a sleeve portion, which has a centered channel. The sleeve portion and channel are eccentric with respect to the head portion. The tool guide is inserted in a first preset position in order to align a surgical tool with one portion of a two-portion bone plate hole, or in a second preset position rotated 180° from the first preset position, in order to align a surgical tool with the second portion of a two-portion bone plate hole.

Claims

1. An aiming guide for aligning at least one surgical tool with a hole in a bone plate comprising:

an arm portion having a longitudinal axis, top and bottom surfaces, and first and second ends, and at least one bore extending through the arm portion from the top surface to the bottom surface; and

a tool guide having a longitudinal axis and a channel in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the tool guide,

wherein the bore and tool guide are configured and adapted such that the tool guide is received in the bore in at least two different preset positions which locates the channel in at least two different hole positions.

2. The aiming guide of claim 1, wherein the at least one bore is offset from the longitudinal axis of the arm portion.

3. The aiming guide of claim 1, wherein the at least one bore includes two diametrically opposed slots extending along at least a portion of a length of the bore, the tool guide having diametrically opposed knobs extending outwardly from the tool guide, the slots configured and dimensioned to mate with the knobs to align the tool guide in the bore.

4. The aiming guide of claim 3, wherein the tool guide is inserted into the bore at a first preset position or at a second preset position rotated 180°

from the first preset position.

5. The aiming guide of claim 3, wherein the tool guide has a head and a sleeve portion, the channel being centered with respect to the sleeve portion, and the sleeve portion being eccentric with respect to the head.

6. The aiming guide of claim 5, wherein, in a first preset position, the eccentric sleeve portion of the tool guide and the channel are aligned with a first portion of a hole in a bone plate and, in a second preset position, the eccentric sleeve portion and channel are aligned with a second portion of a hole in a bone plate.

7. The aiming guide of claim 5, wherein the central longitudinal axis of the sleeve portion is offset from the central longitudinal axis of the head by a distance of approximately 0.16 cm to approximately 0.20 cm.

8. The aiming guide of claim 1, wherein the bore is aligned with a central point of the bone plate hole.

9. The aiming guide of claim 1, wherein the bore is aligned with the center of one portion of the bone plate hole.

10. The aiming guide of claim 1, wherein the arrangement of bores along the arm portion substantially matches the arrangement of holes along at least a portion of the bone plate.

11. The aiming guide of claim 1, wherein the at least one bore is oriented perpendicular to the top surface of the arm portion.

12. The aiming guide of claim 1, wherein the at least one bore is oriented at a non-perpendicular angle with respect to the top surface of the arm portion.

13. The aiming guide of claim 12, wherein the at least one bore is angled in one, two, or three planes with respect to the top surface of the arm portion.

14. The aiming guide of claim 13, wherein the angle formed in each plane is approximately 0°

to 5°

.

15. The aiming guide of claim 1, wherein the tool is at least one of the group comprising a drill bit, a trochar, and a bone tap.

16. The aiming guide of claim 1, wherein the aiming guide further comprises a handle portion, the handle portion connecting the arm with the bone plate.

17. The aiming guide of claim 16, wherein the handle is portion is attached to the bone plate.

18. The aiming guide of claim 17, wherein the handle portion has a chamber, and further comprising an interlocking bolt which extends though the chamber and into a hole in the bone plate.

19. The aiming guide of claim 18, wherein the chamber extends the length of the handle portion.

20. The aiming guide of claim 18, wherein the interlocking bolt has a head, shaft, and end portion, the end portion having threads for engaging a hole in the bone plate.

21. The aiming guide of claim 20, wherein an internally-threaded locking nut, configured and dimensioned to mate with external threads on the interlocking bolt, is positioned between the head of the interlocking bolt and the top surface of the handle portion.

22. The aiming guide of claim 16, wherein the arm portion is aligned with the handle portion by mating pins and with holes in the bottom surface of the arm portion and holes in the top surface of the handle portion.

23. The aiming guide of claim 16, wherein the handle portion is secured to the arm portion by a coupling bolt.

24. The aiming guide of claim 1, wherein a thumb screw may be threaded into a corresponding recess in the side of the arm portion to retain the tool guide in the bore.

25. An aiming guide for aligning at least one surgical tool with a hole in a bone plate comprising:

an arm portion having a longitudinal axis, top and bottom surfaces, and first and second ends, and at least one bore extending through the arm portion from the top surface to the bottom surface; and

a tool guide, the tool guide having a longitudinal axis and a channel in the direction of the longitudinal axis, the tool guide having a head and a sleeve portion, the head being positioned at least in part within said bore, the channel being centered with respect to the sleeve portion, and the sleeve portion and channel being eccentric with respect to the head,

wherein the bore and tool guide are configured and adapted such that the tool guide is received in the bore in at least two different preset positions which locates the channel in at least two different hole positions.

26. The aiming guide of claim 25, wherein the at least one bore is offset from the longitudinal axis of the arm portion.

27. The aiming guide of claim 25, wherein the at least one bore includes two diametrically opposed slots extending along at least a portion of a length of the bore, the slots configured and dimensioned to mate with diametrically opposed knobs extending radially outward from a tool guide.

28. The aiming guide of claim 27, wherein the tool guide is inserted at a first preset position or at a second preset position rotated 180°

from the first preset position.

29. The aiming guide of claim 27, wherein, in a first preset position, the eccentric sleeve portion of the tool guide and the channel are aligned with a first portion of a hole in a bone plate and, in a second preset position, the eccentric sleeve portion and channel are aligned with a second portion of a hole in a bone plate.

30. The aiming guide of claim 25, wherein the bore is aligned with a central point of the bone plate hole.

31. The aiming guide of claim 25, wherein the bore is aligned with the center of one portion of the bone plate hole.

32. The aiming guide of claim 25, wherein the arrangement of bores along the arm portion substantially matches the arrangement of holes along at least a portion of the bone plate.

33. The aiming guide of claim 25, wherein the at least one bore is oriented perpendicular to the top surface of the arm portion.

34. The aiming guide of claim 25, wherein the at least one bore is oriented at a non-perpendicular angle with respect to the top surface of the arm portion.

35. The aiming guide of claim 34, wherein the at least one bore is angled in one, two, or three planes with respect to the top surface of the arm portion.

36. The aiming guide of claim 35, wherein the angle formed in each plane is approximately 0°

to approximately 5°

.

37. The aiming guide of claim 25, wherein the aiming guide further comprises a handle portion, the handle portion connecting the arm with the bone plate.

38. The aiming guide of claim 37, wherein the handle portion is aligned with the arm portion by the mating of pins both with holes at the bottom surface of arm portion and with corresponding holes at the top surface of the handle portion.

39. The aiming guide of claim 37, wherein the handle portion is secured to the arm portion by a coupling bolt.

40. The aiming guide of claim 37, wherein the handle portion is attached to the bone plate.

41. The aiming guide of claim 40, wherein the handle portion has a chamber through its length and an interlocking bolt extends through the chamber and into a hole in the bone plate.

42. The aiming guide of claim 41, wherein the interlocking bolt has a head, shaft, and end portion, which is threaded into a hole in the bone plate.

43. The aiming guide of claim 42, wherein the connection between the interlocking bolt and the bone plate is tightened with a locking nut positioned between the head of the interlocking bolt and the top surface of the handle portion.

44. The aiming guide of claim 25, wherein a thumb screw may be threaded into a corresponding recess in the side of the arm portion to retain the tool guide in the bore.

45. The aiming guide of claim 25, wherein the central longitudinal axis of the sleeve portion is offset from the central longitudinal axis of the head a by distance of approximately 0.16 cm to approximately 0.20 cm.

46. A method of aligning a surgical tool with a bone plate hole, comprising the steps of:

providing an aiming arm guide system comprising;

an arm portion having a longitudinal axis, top and bottom surfaces, and first and second ends, and at least one bore extending through the arm portion from the top surface to the bottom surface; and

a tool guide having a longitudinal axis and a channel in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the tool guide,

wherein the bore and tool guide are configured and adapted such that the tool guide is received in the bore in at least two different preset positions which locates the channel in at least two different hole positions;

attaching the aiming arm to a bone plate; and

inserting at least one tool guide within said bore in one of the at least two preset positions to align the guide sleeve with one of at least two different positions in the bone plate hole.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein attaching the arm portion to the bone plate further comprises a handle portion being attached, at its lower end, to the bone plate and being attached, at its upper end, to the arm portion.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein attaching the handle to the bone plate further comprises inserting an interlocking bolt through a substantially vertical chamber in said handle and threading the interlocking bolt into a bone plate hole.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein an internally-threaded locking nut, positioned between the head of the interlocking bolt and the top surface of the handle portion, is rotated to take up any slack between the handle portion and the bone plate.

50. The method of claim 46, wherein the arm portion is aligned with the handle portion by inserting pins into corresponding holes at the top surface of the handle portion and at the bottom surface of the arm portion.

51. The method of claim 46, wherein the arm portion is secured to the handle portion by inserting, from the top of said arm portion, the shaft of a coupling bolt through a through-hole in the arm portion and into a hole at the top surface of the interlocking bolt.

52. The method of claim 46, wherein an eccentric guide sleeve is inserted into the bore of the arm portion in either of two preset, rotationally-fixed positions.

53. An aiming guide for aligning at least one surgical tool with a hole in a bone plate comprising:

an arm portion having a longitudinal axis, top and bottom surfaces, two side surfaces, and first and second ends, wherein the arm portion is curved along at least a portion of its side surfaces, and at least one bore extending through the arm portion from the top surface to the bottom surface; and

a tool guide having a longitudinal axis and a channel in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the tool guide,

wherein the bore and tool guide are configured and adapted such that the tool guide is received in the bore in at least two different preset positions which locates the channel in at least two different hole positions.

54. The aiming guide of claim 53, wherein the at least one bore includes two diametrically opposed slots extending along at least a portion of a length of the bore, the tool guide having diametrically opposed knobs extending outwardly from the tool guide, the slots configured and dimensioned to mate with the knobs to align the toll guide in the bore.

55. The aiming guide of claim 54, wherein the tool guide is inserted into the bore at a first preset position or at a second preset position rotated 180°

from the first preset position.

56. The aiming guide of claim 54, wherein the tool guide has a head and a sleeve portion, the channel being centered with respect to the sleeve portion, and the sleeve portion being eccentric with respect to the head.

57. The aiming guide of claim 56, wherein, in a first preset position, the eccentric sleeve portion of the tool guide and the channel are aligned with a first portion of a hole in a bone plate and, in a second preset position, the eccentric sleeve portion and channel are aligned with a second portion of a hole in a bone plate.

58. The aiming guide of claim 56, wherein the central longitudinal axis of the sleeve portion is offset from the central longitudinal axis of the head by a distance of approximately 0.16 cm to approximately 0.20 cm.

59. The aiming guide of claim 53, wherein the bore is aligned with a central point of the bone plate hole.

60. The aiming guide of claim 53, wherein the bore is aligned with the center of one portion of the bone plate hole.

61. The aiming guide of claim 53, wherein the aiming guides system is used with a proximal tibia plate having combination holes.

62. The aiming guide of claim 53, wherein the tool is at least one of the group comprising a drill bit, a trochar, and a bone tap.

63. The aiming guide of claim 53, wherein the aiming guide further comprises a handle portion, the handle portion connecting the arm with the bone plate.

64. The aiming guide of claim 63, wherein the handle is portion is attached to the bone plate.

65. The aiming guide of claim 64, wherein the handle portion extends from the bone plate at a non-perpendicular angle with respect to the plane defined by the top surface of the contact region of the bone plate if the surface is flat or, if the top surface is not flat, the plane that is tangential to the peak of the top surface of the contact region of the bone plate.

66. The aiming guide of claim 65, wherein the angle is between approximately 10°

and approximately 20°

.

67. The aiming guide of claim 64, wherein the handle portion has a chamber, and further comprising an interlocking bolt which extends though the chamber and into a hole in the bone plate.

68. The aiming guide of claim 67, wherein the chamber extends the length of the handle portion.

69. The aiming guide of claim 67, wherein the interlocking bolt has a head, shaft, and end portion, the end portion having threads for engaging a hole in the bone plate.

70. The aiming guide of claim 69, wherein an internally-threaded locking nut, configured and dimensioned to mate with external threads on the interlocking bolt, is positioned between the head of the interlocking bolt and the top surface of the handle portion.

71. The aiming guide of claim 63, wherein the arm portion is aligned with the handle portion by mating pins and with holes in the bottom surface of the arm portion and holes in the top surface of the handle portion.

72. The aiming guide of claim 63, wherein the handle portion is secured to the arm portion by a coupling bolt.

73. The aiming guide of claim 53, wherein a thumb screw may be threaded into a corresponding recess in the side of the arm portion to retain the tool guide in the bore.

74. The aiming guide of claim 53, wherein the radius of curvature of the curved portion of the arm is between approximately 140 cm and approximately 170 cm.

75. The aiming guide of claim 53, wherein the at least one bore is orientated at a non-perpendicular angle with respect to the plane defined by the upper surface of the arm portion.

76. The aiming guide of claim 75, wherein the arrangement of bores along the arm portion corresponds to the arrangement of holes along at least a portion of the bone plate.

77. The aiming guide of claim 76, wherein the angle of orientation of each angled bore matches the angle of orientation of the corresponding hole of the bone plate.

78. The aiming guide of claim 75, wherein the at least one angled bore is countersunk.

79. The aiming guide of claim 75, wherein there are a plurality of angled bores.

80. The aiming guide of claim 79, wherein each angled bore is angled in a first plane with respect to the plane defined by the upper surface of the bone plate and in a second different plane with respect to the plane defined by the upper surface of the bone plate.

81. The aiming guide of claim 80, wherein all angled bores are angled, in the first plane, to the same degree.

82. The aiming guide of claim 81, wherein the angle is between approximately 0.1°

and approximately 1.5°

.

83. The aiming guide of claim 80, wherein each of the angled bores is angled, in a second plane, to a degree different from that of any other hole.

84. The aiming guide of claim 83, wherein the angles range from approximately 0.01°

to approximately 5°

.

85. The aiming guide of claim 53, wherein the arm portion is curved in two or three planes.