Cranial plating and bur hole cover system and methods of use

Abstract

The present disclosure is for a device, tooling, methods of use and kits containing the cranial plates and bur hole covers used for resecuring a cranial flap after a craniotomy. The cranial repair system is meant to reduce the profile of cranial plates or bur hole covers on the external surface of the cranium after a craniotomy is performed. The embodied devices of present disclosure are designed to reside substantially within the kerf or bur holes and thus minimize the surface area of devices resides on the external surface of the cranium. Additional embodiments include kits, tooling and methods to further reduce and/or eliminate the external profile of the cranial plate on the external cranial surface.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for reducing the profile of a cranial plating system comprising:
 providing a cranial plate device that comprises two wings and a keel, wherein one of the two wings is configured to be affixed on an outer surface of a cranial flap and the other wing is configured to be affixed on an outer surface of a cranium surrounding the cranial flap and the keel is configured to reside in a kerf (gap) left by a craniotome blade;   securing the cranial plate device as intended by positioning the keel of the cranial plate device within the kerf and securing the wings of the cranial plate device to the cranium and cranial flap with fixation screws, wherein by placing the keel of the cranial plate device within the kerf a substantial portion of the entire cranial plate device no longer resides on the external surface of the cranium, and only the two affixation wings reside on the external surface of the cranium; and   wherein the cranial plating system methods include attaching one or more cranial plates to the cranial flap with one affixation wing, the flap is placed back within the cranium space and the cranium is marked where the second affixation wing should be secured, a pilot hole is drilled and the plates are attached to the cranium with the second affixation wing.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the two wings are located at opposing ends and opposing sides of the keel. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the keel is attached to the wings at keel wing attachment points and is located below the two wings; and wherein the cranial plate is of unitary one piece construction. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cranial plate device is configured to be secured to the cranium with independent fixation sources selected from screws, tacks, rivets, or wires. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the two wings are configured to be affixed within recesses formed in the outer surfaces of the cranial flap and cranium such that the wings do not protrude outside of said recesses of the cranial flap and cranium. 
     
     
         6 . A method for reducing to eliminating the profile of a cranial plating system comprising:
 providing a cranial plate device that comprises two wings and a keel; wherein the two wings are affixed on the outer surface of the cranium and the keel resides in the kerf (gap) left by a craniotome blade;   securing the cranial plate device as intended by positioning the keel of the cranial plate device within the kerf and using a surgical drill to sculpt the surface of the bone to correspond to the shape of the affixation wings of the cranial plate device, and securing the wings of the cranial plate device to the troughs cut into the cranium and cranial flap to accommodate the wings and the wings are then affixed to the cranial flap and cranium with fixation screws, wherein by placing the keel of the cranial plate device within the kerf a substantial portion of the entire cranial plate device no longer resides on the external surface of the cranium, and the two affixation wings reside in a trough carved on the external surface of the cranium; and   wherein the cranial plating system methods include attaching one or more cranial plates to the cranial flap with one affixation wing placed in the first carved trough, the flap is placed back within the cranium space and the cranium is marked where the second affixation wing should be secured, a second trough is cut away on the cranium and a pilot hole is drilled and the plates are attached to the cranium with the second affixation wing.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the one of the two wings is configured to be affixed on an outer surface of a cranial flap and the other wing is configured to be affixed on an outer surface of a cranium surrounding the cranial flap and the keel is configured to reside in a kerf (gap) left by a craniotome blade;
 wherein the two wings are located at opposing ends and opposing sides of the keel;   wherein the keel is attached to the wings at keel wing attachment points and is located below the two wings;   wherein the keel has a length of at least 6 mm and is configured such that part of the keel resides within the kerf to create a scaffold for bone regrowth; and   wherein the cranial plate is of unitary one piece construction.   
     
     
         8 . A method for reducing the profile of a cranial plating system comprising:
 providing a cranial plate device that comprises two wings and a keel;   wherein one of the two wings is configured to be affixed on an outer surface of a cranial flap and the other wing is configured to be affixed on an outer surface of a cranium surrounding the cranial flap;   wherein the keel is configured to reside in a kerf (gap) left by a craniotome blade;   wherein the two wings are located at opposing ends and opposing sides of the keel.   wherein the cranial plate is of unitary one piece construction;   securing the cranial plate device as intended by positioning the keel of the cranial plate device within the kerf and securing the wings of the cranial plate device to the cranium and cranial flap with fixation screws, wherein by placing the keel of the cranial plate device within the kerf a substantial portion of the entire cranial plate device no longer resides on the external surface of the cranium, and only the two affixation wings reside on the external surface of the cranium; and   wherein the cranial plating system methods include attaching one or more cranial plates to the cranial flap with one affixation wing, the flap is placed back within the cranium space and the cranium is marked where the second affixation wing should be secured, a pilot hole is drilled and the plates are attached to the cranium with the second affixation wing.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the two wings are located at opposing ends and opposing sides of the keel. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the keel is attached to the wings at keel wing attachment points and is located below the two wings; and wherein the cranial plate is of unitary one piece construction.