Bone plates with movable locking elements

• US 9,414,871 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2012
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acumed Llc (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Acumed Llc (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: Huebner, Randall J., Jensen, David G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramana, Anu
• Application Number:
  US13/652,185
• Publication Number:
  US 20130090656A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,401 Days
• Field of Search: 606/283, 606/284, 606/286, 606/289, 606/290, 606/294
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1728 for holes for bone plates or plate screws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1735 for rasps or chisels
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1782 for the hand or wrist
• 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 17/8004 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 17/8052 immobilised relative to screws by interlocking form of the heads and plate holes, e.g. conical or threaded
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8061 specially adapted for particular bones A61B17/70 and A61B17/74 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/808 Instruments for holding or positioning bone plates, or for adjusting screw-to-plate locking mechanisms
• 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 2090/061 for measuring dimensions, e.g. length
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/067 for measuring angles

Abstract

System, including methods, apparatus, and kits, for fixing bones with bone plates having movable locking elements.

Claims

1. A bone plate for bone fixation, comprising:

a plate body defining a longitudinal axis and a pair of grooves, wherein the pair of grooves extend parallel to the longitudinal axis; and

a locking element including a portion having a through-hole with an internal thread and also including a biasing mechanism that resiliently positions the portion having a through-hole with respect to the plate body, the locking element being configured to receive a fastener in the through-hole such that the fastener is in threaded engagement with the internal thread, the locking element being disposed in the pair of grooves for movement along the grooves in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis.

2. The bone plate of claim 1, wherein the portion having a through-hole and a portion of the locking element that forms the biasing mechanism are continuous with one another.

3. The bone plate of claim 1, wherein the plate body has an inner surface region configured to face bone, and wherein the locking element has a biased position with respect to the plate body along an axis that is at least generally orthogonal to the inner surface region.

4. The bone plate of claim 1, wherein the locking element is a first locking element, further comprising a second locking element y disposed in a pair of grooves defined by the plate body.

5. The bone plate of claim 1, wherein the locking element is removable from the plate body.

6. The bone plate of claim 1, wherein the pair of grooves are internal grooves located inside the plate body.

7. A bone plate for bone fixation, comprising:

a plate body defining a longitudinal axis and an opening, the plate body including flanges that border the opening and extend parallel to the longitudinal axis; and

a spring-biased element supported by the flanges and movable along the flanges in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis, the spring-biased element being configured to receive a fastener in threaded engagement with the spring-biased element.

8. The bone plate of claim 7, wherein the spring-biased element includes a flexible portion.

9. The bone plate of claim 7, wherein the plate body has an inner surface region configured to face bone, and wherein the spring-biased element has a biased position with respect to the plate body along an axis that is at least generally orthogonal to the inner surface region.

10. The bone plate of claim 7, wherein the spring-biased element is removable from the plate body.

11. A method of fixing bone, the method comprising:

selecting a bone plate including a plate body defining a longitudinal axis, the plate body including a pair of tracks that extend parallel to the longitudinal axis, the bone plate including a spring-biased locking element disposed in the pair of tracks and slidable along the pair of tracks in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis; and

attaching the bone plate to bone with a fastener extending into the bone and disposed in threaded engagement with the locking element.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the locking element is a first locking element and the bone plate includes a second spring-biased locking element, further comprising a step of attaching the bone plate to the bone with another fastener extending into the bone and locked to the second spring-biased locking element.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising a step of sliding the locking element with respect to the plate body in the direction parallel to the longitudinal axis.