BONE FIXATION WITH A STRUT-STABILIZED BONE PLATE

• US 20080161861A1
• Filed: 10/17/2006
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acumed Llc (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Acumed Llc (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: Huebner, Randall J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,231,662 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/286
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8004 with means for distracting or compressing the bone or bones
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8033 having indirect contact with screw heads, or having contact with screw heads maintained with the aid of additional components, e.g. nuts, wedges or head covers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8061 specially adapted for particular bones A61B17/70 and A61B17/74 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8085 with pliable or malleable elements or having a mesh-like structure, e.g. small strips A61B17/8071, A61B17/8076 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8861 Apparatus for manipulating flexible wires or straps devices for inserting Kirschner wires A61B17/1697

Abstract

System, including methods, apparatus, and kits, for bone fixation using a bone plate and a strut that stabilizes the bone plate on bone.

Claims

1. A method of bone fixation, comprising:

securing a bone plate to at least one bone;

bending the bone plate to a bent configuration while the bone plate is secured to the bone; and

connecting a strut to the bone plate such that the bent configuration is stabilized.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of securing includes a step of securing the bone plate to a distal portion of a radius bone.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of securing includes a step of securing the bone plate adjacent a volar surface of the distal portion of the radius bone.

4. The method of claim 1, the strut defining one or more apertures, wherein the step of connecting includes a step of placing one or more fasteners through at least one of the apertures.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of placing includes a step of placing at least one bone screw through the bone plate and into the at least one bone.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of bending the bone plate intraoperatively before the step of securing.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of bending the bone plate while the bone plate is secured to the bone includes a step of applying a torque to the bone plate via at least one tool disposed in engagement with the bone plate at spaced sites flanking a region in which the bone plate is to be bent selectively.

8. The method of claim 1, the strut being a strut plate, the bone plate and the strut plate each having opposing inner and outer faces, wherein the step of connecting includes a step of disposing the inner face of the strut plate adjacent the outer face of the bone plate.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the bone plate and the strut have generally complementary engagement structures that fit together in two or more discrete registers, and wherein the step of connecting includes (1) a step of selecting a register for the engagement structures and (2) a step of coupling the strut to the bone plate in the register selected.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of connecting includes a step of connecting the strut to the bone plate by placing fasteners into at least two pairs of aligned apertures provided by the bone plate and strut.

11. The method of claim 1, each of the bone plate and the strut defining a long axis, wherein the step of connecting includes (1) a step of disposing the long axes of the bone plate and the strut generally parallel to one another, and (2) a step of coupling the strut to the bone plate at least partially after the step of disposing.

12. A method of bone fixation, comprising:

bending a bone plate to a bent configuration intraoperatively;

securing the bone plate to a bone; and

connecting a strut to the bone plate such that the bent configuration is stabilized.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of connecting is performed with threaded fasteners.

14. The method of claim 12, the bone plate having a long axis, wherein the step of bending is performed about one or more axes that are transverse to the long axis.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of connecting includes a step of connecting a strut having a linear profile.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of bending is performed with one or more tools disposed in threaded engagement with the bone plate.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of connecting includes a step of connecting the strut to the bone plate at two or more spaced positions of the bone plate.

18. A system for bone fixation, comprising:

a bone plate; and

a strut that connects to the bone plate intraoperatively to stabilize each of a plurality of alternative bent configurations of the bone plate produced by bending the bone plate to different extents about one or more transverse axes of the bone plate.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the strut connects to the bone plate using fasteners placed at two or more spaced locations defined by the strut, the bone plate, or both.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the bone plate and the strut are configured to engage one another in two or more discrete registers, to stabilize distinct bent configurations of the bone plate.