Flexible plate fixation of bone fractures

• US 9,510,879 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2014
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zimmer Incorporated (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Zimmer Incorporated (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bottlang, Michael, Madey, Steven M., Wirtz, Kyle, Tsai, Stanley
• Primary Examiner(s): Bates, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang, Olivia C
• Application Number:
  US14/308,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20150025588A1
• Time in Patent Office: 902 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8004 with means for distracting or compressing the bone or bones
• 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 17/8085 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 17/863 with thread interrupted or changing its form along shank, other than constant taper

Abstract

Embodiments provide methods, apparatuses, and systems for fixation of a fractured bone with a bone plate. In various embodiments, the systems and plates provide elastic suspension of the receiving holes relative to an osteosynthesis plate. This elastic suspension can promote load distribution between the screws that connect a bone segment to the plate, thereby reducing stress risers and load shielding effect. In addition, stress at the screw holes, and within the construct as a whole, is reduced by incorporation of these elastic elements in the plate. Additionally, in some embodiments where fracture healing by callus formation is desired, elastic suspension of the receiving holes relative to the osteosynthesis plate can enable small, controlled amounts of relative motion between bone fragments connected by the plate. This relative motion can promote fracture healing by callus formation.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a bone plate having an upper surface and a bone-facing surface, the bone plate comprising one or more openings extending through the bone plate from the upper surface to the bone-facing surface, the one or more openings at least partially surrounding a periphery of one or more receiving holes to enable relative displacement between the receiving holes within the bone plate, wherein the one or more openings are at least partially filled with an elastomer to support elastic suspension of the receiving holes in the bone plate, wherein the elastomer is disposed within the one or more openings such that the elastomer at least partially surrounds the periphery of the one or more receiving holes.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more receiving holes are suspended to permit translation relative to the bone plate along a longitudinal axis of the bone plate while substantially limiting motion of the one or more receiving holes in a direction that is perpendicular to at least one of the upper surface and the bone-facing surface of the bone plate.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the elastomer may positively adhere to an inner wall surface of the opening to affect a desired elastic constraint of the receiving hole relative to the device.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the elastomer extends beyond at least one of the upper surface and the bone-facing surface of the bone plate.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the elastomer comprises an elastomer lumen, the elastomer containing a plurality of voids that increase the compressibility of the elastomer lumen.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the elastomer has a Modulus of elasticity in the range of 0.1-50 MPa.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more receiving holes comprise a plurality of receiving holes, and wherein the receiving holes are arranged in a staggered pattern to improve torsional stability of the bone plate.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more receiving holes comprises a rivet, wherein the rivet is adapted to protect the elastomer from excessive deformation in a direction perpendicular to at least one of an upper plane and a lower plane of the bone plate.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the rivet comprises a threaded receiving hole.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more receiving holes includes a feature for positive locking with a screw head to enable angle-stable fixation of the bone plate to a bone surface in absence of compression of the bone plate onto the bone surface, which, in conjunction with the elastic suspension of the receiving holes, enables controlled relative motion between the bone plate and the bone surface.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the elastomer comprises silicone.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the openings at least partially surrounds a periphery of two or more receiving holes within the opening.

13. A device, comprising:

a bone plate comprising one or more receiving holes configured to receive a rivet; and

a rivet disposed non-rigidly within at least one of the one or more receiving holes, wherein an opening is present between the rivet and the plate;

wherein the opening is at least partially filled with an elastomer to provide elastic suspension of the rivet within the receiving hole in the bone plate to enable relative displacement between the rivet and the bone plate.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the opening at least partially surrounds the rivet.

15. A bone plate, comprising:

a plate body having an upper surface and a bone-facing surface;

a plurality of openings extending through the plate body from the upper surface to the bone-facing surface; and

one or more receiving holes, each of the one or more receiving holes positioned within a different one of the openings such that the opening at least partially surrounds a periphery of the receiving hole to enable relative displacement of the receiving hole within the plate body;

wherein each of the openings having one of the receiving holes positioned therein is at least partially filled with an elastomer to support elastic suspension of the receiving hole in the plate body; and

wherein the elastomer extends at least partially between an outer wall surface of the receiving hole and an inner wall surface of the opening.

16. The bone plate of claim 15, wherein the outer wall surface of the one or more receiving holes includes a first outwardly extending flange adjacent to the upper surface of the plate body, a second outwardly extending flange adjacent to the bone-facing surface of the plate body, and a recess formed between the first and second outwardly extending flanges.

17. The bone plate of claim 16, wherein the recess is configured to receive a third flange extending from the inner wall surface of the corresponding receiving hole.

18. The bone plate of claim 15, wherein the elastomer comprises silicone.

19. The bone plate of claim 15, wherein the openings are defined by a first dimension along a longitudinal direction of the plate body and a second dimension along a transverse direction of the plate body, wherein the first dimension is greater than the second dimension.

20. The bone plate of claim 15, wherein the elastomer extends around the entire periphery of the receiving hole.

21. The bone plate of claim 15, wherein the elastomer extends around less than the entire periphery of the receiving hole.