Orthopaedic bone plate

• US 5,938,664 A
• Filed: 03/31/1998
• Issued: 08/17/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Zimmer Technology Incorporated (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Zimmer Incorporated (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Myers, John E., Winquist, Robert A., Price, Gregory G., Benirschke, Steve, Desjardins, Raymond, Goulet, James, Duwelius, Paul, Patterson, Stanley W.
• Primary Examiner(s): WOO, JULIAN W
• Assistant Examiner(s): WOO, JULIAN W
• Application Number:
  US09/052,539
• Time in Patent Office: 504 Days
• Field of Search: 606/62, 606/63, 606/64, 606/69, 606/70, 606/71
• US Class Current: 606/283
• 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

Abstract

An orthopaedic bone plate is coupled to a bone having an enlarged head at one end thereof which is attached to a shaft. The bone plate includes an elongate portion, a flared portion and an intermediate portion. The elongate portion is attachable to the bone shaft using a plurality of bone screws. The elongate portion generally defines a longitudinal axis. The flared portion is attachable to the bone head using at least one bone screw. The intermediate portion interconnects the elongate portion and the flared portion. The intermediate portion is structured and arranged to allow the elongate portion and the flared portion to move relative to each other in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis when the elongate portion and the flared portion are attached to the bone.

Claims

1. An orthopaedic bone plate attachable to a bone using a plurality of bone screws, said orthopaedic bone plate comprising:

an elongate portion attachable to a shaft of the bone using a plurality of the bone screws, said elongate portion generally defining a longitudinal axis;

a flared portion attachable to a head of the bone using at least one of the bone screws; and

an intermediate portion interconnecting said elongate portion and said flared portion, said intermediate portion including means for allowing said elongate portion and said flared portion to move relative to each other in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis when said elongate portion and said flared portion are attached to the bone.

2. The orthopaedic bone plate of claim 1, wherein said allowing means of said intermediate portion comprises a thickness of said intermediate portion in the transverse direction.

3. The orthopaedic bone plate of claim 2, wherein said thickness allows said intermediate portion to deflect in a direction generally toward the longitudinal axis when said elongate portion and said flared portion are attached to the bone.

4. The orthopaedic bone plate of claim 1, wherein said flared portion includes a means for allowing said flared portion to permanently deflect in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis when said elongate portion and said flared portion are attached to the bone.

5. The orthopaedic bone plate of claim 4, wherein said allowing means of said flared portion comprises a thickness of the flared portion in the transverse direction.

6. The orthopaedic bone plate of claim 4, wherein said transverse direction is generally toward the longitudinal axis.

7. The orthopaedic bone plate of claim 1, wherein each of said elongate portion and said flared portion have a plurality of screw holes.

8. The orthopaedic bone plate of claim 1, wherein said elongate portion, said flared portion and said intermediate portion each have a thickness in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis, said thickness of said elongate portion being greater than said thicknesses of said flared portion and said intermediate portion.

9. The orthopaedic bone plate of claim 8, wherein said thickness of said flared portion is greater than said thickness of said intermediate portion.

10. The orthopaedic bone plate of claim 1, wherein each of said elongate portion, said flared portion and said intermediate portion are respectively curved in at least one direction transverse to the longitudinal axis.

11. The orthopaedic bone plate of claim 10, wherein said elongate portion, said flared portion and said intermediate portion are respectively curved to define a compound curvature of the bone plate in transverse directions generally toward and away from the longitudinal axis.

12. An orthopaedic bone plate attachable to a bone using a plurality of bone screws, said orthopaedic bone plate comprising:

an elongate portion attachable to a shaft of the bone using a plurality of the bone screws, said elongate portion generally defining a longitudinal axis;

a flared portion attachable to a head of the bone using at least one of the bone screws; and

an intermediate portion interconnecting said elongate portion and said flared portion, said intermediate portion being structured and arranged to allow said elongate portion and said flared portion to move relative to each other in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis when said elongate portion and said flared portion are attached to the bone.

13. The orthopaedic bone plate of claim 12, wherein said intermediate portion has a thickness in the transverse direction which allows said elongate portion and said flared portion to move relative to each other in the transverse direction when said elongate portion and said flared portion are attached to the bone.

14. The orthopaedic bone plate of claim 13, wherein said thickness allows said intermediate portion to permanently deflect in a direction generally toward the longitudinal axis when said elongate portion and said flared portion are attached to the bone.

15. The orthopaedic bone plate of claim 12, wherein said flared portion is structured and arranged to allow said flared portion to permanently deflect in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis when said elongate portion and said flared portion are attached to the bone.

16. The orthopaedic bone plate of claim 15, wherein said flared portion has a thickness in the transverse direction of the flared portion which allows said elongate portion and said flared portion to move relative to each other in the transverse direction when said elongate portion and said flared portion are attached to the bone.

17. The orthopaedic bone plate of claim 15, wherein said transverse direction is generally toward the longitudinal axis.

18. The orthopaedic bone plate of claim 12, wherein each of said elongate portion and said flared portion have a plurality of screw holes.

19. The orthopaedic bone plate of claim 12, wherein said elongate portion and said flared portion each have a thickness in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis, said thickness of said elongate portion being greater than said thicknesses of said flared portion and said intermediate portion.

20. The orthopaedic bone plate of claim 19, wherein said thickness of said flared portion is greater than said thickness of said intermediate portion.

21. The orthopaedic bone plate of claim 12, wherein each of said elongate portion, said flared portion and said intermediate portion are respectively curved in at least one direction transverse to the longitudinal axis.

22. The orthopaedic bone plate of claim 21, wherein said elongate portion, said flared portion and said intermediate portion are respectively curved to define a compound curvature of the bone plate in transverse directions generally toward and away from the longitudinal axis.

23. A method of attaching an orthopaedic bone plate to a bone, said method comprising the steps of:

providing an orthopaedic bone plate having an elongate portion, a flared portion and an intermediate portion, said intermediate portion disposed between and interconnecting said elongate portion and said flared portion;

positioning the bone plate against the bone such that the elongate portion lies against a shaft of the bone and the flared portion lies against a head of the bone;

attaching said elongate portion to the bone shaft using a plurality of the bone screws;

attaching said flared portion to the bone head using at least one of the bone screws; and

deflecting said intermediate portion, dependent upon at least one of said attaching steps, such that each of said intermediate portion and said flared portion move generally toward an anatomical axis of the bone.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said deflecting step occurs as a result of said second attaching step.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein said deflecting step comprises permanently deflecting said intermediate portion.