Fracture Fixation Plate for the Proximal Radius

• US 20090118769A1
• Filed: 10/30/2008
• Published: 05/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biomet Incorporated (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Biomet Incorporated (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kortenbach, Juergen A., Sixto, Robert JR., Francese, Jose Luis, Sanders, Roy, Steinmann, Scott, Wich, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,197,521 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/280
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/17 Guides or aligning means for drills , mills, pins or wires
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1728 for holes for bone plates or plate screws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1739 specially adapted for particular parts of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/80 Cortical plates , i.e. bone plates; Instruments for holding or positioning cortical plates, or for compressing bones attached to cortical plates
• 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 17/8061 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 17/809 with bone-penetrating elements, e.g. blades or prongs bone staples A61B17/0642; intramedullary nails with a plate at an end A61B17/7233
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/864 hollow, e.g. with socket or cannulated
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8863 Apparatus for shaping or cutting osteosynthesis equipment by medical personnel
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 27/026 fluid driven
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 27/064 fluid driven
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 606/902 Cortical plate specifically adapted for a particular bone

Abstract

A system for the internal fixation of a fractured bone of an elbow joint of a patient includes at least one bone plate, each bone plate having a plurality of holes and generally configured to fit an anatomical surface of the fractured bone. The at least one plate is adapted to be customized to the shape of a patient'"'"'s bone. The system also includes a plurality of fasteners including at least one locking fastener for attaching the bone plate to the bone. At least one of the holes is a threaded hole. Guides for plate benders, drills, and/or K-wires can be pre-assembled to the threaded holes, and the locking fastener can lock into any of the threaded holes after the guides are removed.

Claims

1. A bone plate for the internal fixation of a fractured proximal radius bone, the proximal radius bone having an articular surface, the bone plate comprising:

a) a rigid body with proximal and distal ends defining a longitudinal axis, a medial edge and a lateral edge, an upper surface and a lower surface; and

b) a first arm extending from one of the medial or lateral edges of the rigid body, the first arm including a first ring element attached to the body by a first curved bendable bridge element,

wherein the rigid body includes first and second body holes and the first ring element includes a first ring hole, and wherein each of the first and second body holes and first ring hole can receive a fastener for attaching the bone plate to the bone.

2. A bone plate according to claim 1, wherein:

at least one of the first and second body holes is threaded and defines a central axis, and the first ring hole is threaded and defines a first thread axis angled relative to said central axis.

3. A bone plate according to claim 1, wherein:

the first arm extends from the rigid body proximal-medially, and the first curved bendable bridge is attached to the medial edge of the rigid body, and the bone plate further comprises;

c) a second arm extending proximal-laterally from the rigid body and including a second ring element attached to the lateral edge of the rigid body by a second curved bendable bridge element, the second ring element including a second ring hole having a thread that defines a second thread axis; and

d) a third arm extending proximally from the rigid body and including a third ring element attached to the proximal end of the rigid body by a third bridge element, the third ring element including a third ring hole having a thread defining a third thread axis,

wherein the first, second and third arms form a trident.

4. A bone plate according to claim 3, wherein:

the proximal radius has an axis that extends through a center of the proximal articular surface of the radius, and

the first, second and third thread axes converge towards the central axis so as to be substantially aligned thereon.

5. A bone plate according to claim 3, wherein:

the first and second arms are each curved out-of-plane.

6. A bone plate according to claim 3, wherein:

the first, second and third arms have a combined stiffness that approximates within twenty percent the stiffness of the rigid body.

7. A bone plate according to claim 3, wherein:

the first, second and third arms have a combined stiffness that approximates within ten percent the stiffness of the rigid body.

8. A bone plate according to claim 3, wherein:

proximal portion of the lower surface along the longitudinal axis is convexly curved, and the second and third arms are curved such that portions of the first and second rings extend below the lower surface of the rigid body.

9. A bone plate according to claim 3, further comprising:

a fourth arm extending distally from the rigid body, the fourth arm including a fourth ring element attached to the distal end of the rigid body, the fourth ring element including a fourth ring hole having a thread defining a fourth thread axis.

10. A bone plate according to claim 3, further comprising:

a first, a second, a third and a central drill guide preassembled into the first ring hole, second ring hole, third ring hole and first body hole, respectively.

11. A bone plate according to claim 8, wherein:

each of the first curved, second curved and third bendable bridge elements is less stiff than the rigid body, and wherein each of the first, second and third drill guides is adapted for application of a bending tool, such that a user may use a pair of bending tools to apply a leveraging force to reconfigure any one of the first, second and third arms.

12. A bone plate according to claim 3, further comprising:

a fifth arm extending distally from the fourth ring element, the fifth arm including a fifth ring element attached to the distal end of the rigid body by a fifth bendable bridge element, the fifth ring element including a fifth ring hole having a thread, said fifth ring hole for receiving a fastener and including a fifth drill guide preassembled into the fifth hole.

13. The bone plate according to claim 12, wherein:

each of the fourth and fifth bendable bridge elements is less stiff than the rigid body, and wherein each of the fourth and fifth drill guides is adapted for application of a bending tool, such that a user may use a pair of bending tools to apply a leveraging force to reconfigure either of the fourth and fifth arms.

14. The bone plate according to claim 13, wherein:

each of the fourth and fifth bendable bridge elements is fragmentable, such that a user may use the pair of bending tools to apply a leveraging force to fatigue fracture the fourth bendable bridge element in order to remove the fourth and fifth arms, and to apply a leveraging force to fatigue fracture the fifth bendable bridge in order to remove the fifth arm.

19. A bone plate according to claim 3, wherein:

the first, second and third ring elements have respective bone contacting surfaces, the bone contacting surfaces of the first, second and third ring elements oriented to seat on sphere of a predetermined diameter.

15. A bone plate for the internal fixation of a fractured proximal radius bone, the proximal radius bone having an articular surface, the bone plate comprising:

a) a rigid body with proximal and distal ends defining a longitudinal axis, a medial edge and a lateral edge, an upper surface and a lower surface, the rigid body including first and second body holes each of which can receive a fastener for attaching the bone plate to the bone;

b) a first arm extending proximal-medially from the rigid body, the first arm including a first ring element attached to the body by a first curved bendable bridge element, the first ring element including a first ring hole having a thread that defines a first thread axis, said first ring hole able to receive a fastener for attaching the first ring element to the bone;

c) a second arm extending proximal-laterally from the rigid body and including a second ring element attached to the lateral edge of the rigid body by a second curved bendable bridge element, the second ring element including a second ring hole having a thread that defines a second thread axis, said second ring hole able to receive a fastener for attaching the second ring element to the bone; and

d) a third arm extending proximally from the rigid body and including a third ring element attached to the proximal end of the rigid body by a third bridge element, the third ring element including a third threaded hole defining a third thread axis, said third ring hole able to receive a fastener for attaching the third ring element to the bone,

wherein the first and second arms are each curved out-of-plane with each other, the third arm, and the rigid body.

20. A bone plate according to claim 15, wherein:

the first, second and third ring elements have respective bone contacting surfaces, the bone contacting surfaces of the first, second and third ring elements oriented to seat on sphere of a predetermined diameter.

16. A bone plate for the internal fixation of a fractured proximal radius bone, the proximal radius bone having an articular surface, the bone plate for the proximal radius comprising:

a) a rigid body with proximal and distal ends defining a longitudinal axis, a medial edge and a lateral edge, an upper surface and a lower surface, the rigid body including first and second body holes each of which can receive a fastener for attaching the bone plate to the bone;

b) a first arm extending proximal-medially from the rigid body, the first arm including a first ring element attached to the body by a first curved bendable bridge element, the first ring element including a first ring hole having a thread that defines a first thread axis, said first ring hole able to receive a fastener for attaching the first ring element to the bone;

c) a second arm extending proximal-laterally from the rigid body and including a second ring element attached to the lateral edge of the rigid body by a second curved bendable bridge element, the second ring element including a second ring hole having a thread that defines a second thread axis, said second ring hole able to receive a fastener for attaching the second ring element to the bone; and

d) a third arm extending proximally from the rigid body and including a third ring element attached to the proximal end of the rigid body by a third bridge element, the third ring element including a third threaded hole defining a third thread axis, said third ring hole able to receive a fastener for attaching the third ring element to the bone,

wherein the first, second and third arms have a combined stiffness that approximates within twenty percent the stiffness of the rigid body.

17. A bone plate according to claim 16, wherein:

the first, second and third arms have a combined stiffness that approximates within ten percent the stiffness of the rigid body.

18. A bone plate according to claim 16, wherein:

the first, second and third ring elements have respective bone contacting surfaces, the bone contacting surfaces of the first, second and third ring elements oriented to seat on sphere of a predetermined diameter.