Orthopedic plate for use in small bone repair

Abstract

The present invention relates to a series of orthopedic plates for use in repair of a bone. The plate has a Y-shaped profile or an X-shaped profile which includes an elongate central trunk with a complex contour and either one or two terminal pairs of arms that have a first arm and a second arm that form differing angles and lengths relative to the trunk portion of the plate. The arms include locking screw holes where the screws converge toward each other to provide for multiplanar fixation but which do not impinge.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An orthopedic plate system comprising at least one screw and an orthopedic clavicle plate having an inferior surface which is capable of facing a clavicle bone surface in use and which is pre-contoured to accommodate the shape of that bone surface and an oppositely facing concentric superior surface, the plate having a central trunk portion defining a longitudinal trunk axis extending between a first end and a second end and having at least a portion of the inferior surface which includes a curve transverse to the longitudinal axis, said plate including at the first end a pair of divergent arms which extend so as to form a left arm and a right arm, each arm including an arm screw hole which defines a central screw hole axis and each arm being joined to the trunk portion by a link, each arm of the pair having a longitudinal arm axis which extends between the central screw hole axis and the longitudinal trunk axis defining an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the trunk area and the angle of the left arm being α and the angle of the right arm being β where α is different than β such that the central screw hole axis of the right arm converges toward but does not impinge on the central screw hole axis of the left arm and wherein the plate has a medial line which describes an S-curve in the lateral plane or in the longitudinal plane. 
     
     
         2 . The orthopedic plate system as set forth in  claim 1 , comprising at least two screws, wherein the two screws each have a length and a diameter such that when the two screws are locked in their respective screw holes, the two screws do not impinge on each other and further wherein the longitudinal arm axis is medial to the arm. 
     
     
         3 . The orthopedic plate system as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein said at least one screw has a threaded shaft, a screw axis, and a head and wherein the arm screw hole and the screw head have a mating interface such that the screw can engage the arm screw hole so as to allow a plurality of angular orientations of the screw axis. 
     
     
         4 . The orthopedic plate system as set forth in  claim 1 , comprising at least two screws, wherein each screw having a screw axis and each arm screw hole includes one of the screws such that the two screws do not impinge on each other. 
     
     
         5 . The orthopedic plate system as set forth in  claim 1 , comprising at least two screws, wherein each screw having a screw axis and each arm screw hole includes one of the screws such that the two screws do not impinge on each other and further wherein the mating interface between the screw head and the arm screw holes allows for at least 30° of conical orientation of the screw axis in the screw hole. 
     
     
         6 . The orthopedic plate system as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein said at least one screw has a threaded shaft, a screw axis, and a head and wherein the arm screw hole and the screw head have a mating interface such that the screw can engage the arm screw hole so as to cause a locked angular orientation of the screw axis in the arm screw hole. 
     
     
         7 . The orthopedic plate system as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein the screw head includes external threads and the arm screw hole includes corresponding internal threads. 
     
     
         8 . The orthopedic plate as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the system further includes a drill guide and the arm screw hole further includes guide ways for the drill guide which set the angle for the drill guide relative to the plate. 
     
     
         9 . A surgical plate system comprising a pre-contoured Y-shaped plate that has an inferior surface and which has a concentric superior surface, the plate consisting of a trunk and a pair of a first arm and a second arm, the trunk having a medial line along the superior surface extending between a first and a second end, and the inferior surface of the plate defining a curve transverse to the medial line, the trunk including at least one screw hole and, the first arm and the second arm extending from the first end of the trunk, the inferior surface of the first arm and of the second arm spiraling around the medial line of the trunk, the first arm having an ear with at least one screw hole defining a first screw hole axis perpendicular to a tangent to the top surface of the first ear, the first ear being attached to the trunk by a linking section having a waist, a first angle being defined by an intersection of the medial line of the trunk with a first arm linear medial axis, and a first length being defined by a line from a center of the first arm screw hole along the first arm linear medial axis to the medial longitudinal axis of the trunk, and, the second arm having a second ear with at least one second screw hole defining a second screw hole axis perpendicular to a tangent to the top surface of the second ear, the second ear being attached to the trunk by a linking section having a waist, a second angle being defined by an intersection of the medial line of the trunk with a second arm linear medial axis, and a second length being defined by a line from a center of the second arm screw hole along the second arm linear medial axis to the medial line of the trunk, and wherein the waist of the linking section of the first arm and of the second arm is configured to bend relative to the trunk section in response to a force applied before or during surgery without deforming the screw hole and the first angle and the first length being different from the second angle and the second length whereby the first screw hole axis and the second screw hole axis converge toward each other on the inferior side of the plate but do not intersect to allow for multiplanar fixation. 
     
     
         10 . The orthopedic plate system as set forth in  claim 9 , comprising at least two screws, each having a screw axis and wherein each of the first screw hole and the second screw hole includes one of the screws, and the screw axes of the two screws do not impinge on each other. 
     
     
         11 . The orthopedic plate system as set forth in  claim 10 , comprising at least two screws, each having a length and a diameter and wherein each arm screw hole includes one of the two screws wherein the length and diameter of the two screws are such that the two screws do not impinge on each other. 
     
     
         12 . The surgical plate system as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the medial line of the trunk defines a larger curve in the longitudinal direction than in the transverse direction. 
     
     
         13 . The surgical plate system as set forth in  claim 12 , wherein the larger curve forms a portion of a fishtail shaped curve. 
     
     
         14 . A surgical plate system as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein the trunk has a through hole. 
     
     
         15 . The surgical plate system as set forth in  claim 14 , wherein the trunk has at least two through holes and a waist area between the through holes which encourages bending of the waist area in response to a force applied before or during surgery. 
     
     
         16 . The surgical plate system as set forth in  claim 15 , wherein the trunk has an oblong slot. 
     
     
         17 . The surgical plate system as set forth in  claim 10 , further including at least one screw having a threaded shaft and a head wherein at least one screw hole and the screw head have a mating interface such that the screw can engage the screw hole so as to allow a plurality of angular orientations of the screw axis relative to the screw hole axis. 
     
     
         18 . The surgical plate system as set forth in  claim 10 , further including at least one screw having a threaded shaft and a head wherein at least one screw hole and the screw head have a mating interface such that the screw can engage the screw hole at a locked angular orientation of a screw axis relative to the screw hole axis. 
     
     
         19 . A surgical plate system as set forth in  claim 18 , wherein the screw hole include internal threads and the screw head includes corresponding external threads which mate to fix the orientation of the screw in the screw hole. 
     
     
         20 . The surgical plate system as set forth in  claim 19 , further including a drill guide and the screw hole includes guide keyways which orient the angle of the drill guide relative to the plate.