Patent ID: 11871970
Assignee: GLOBUS MEDICAL INC.
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 0:
1. A method of stabilizing bone comprising the steps of:
providing an aiming guide system configured for connection to a bone plate, the bone plate extending along a longitudinal axis and comprising a proximal portion, a shaft, and a distal portion, the bone plate defining a plurality of first screw holes along shaft, a plurality of second screw holes at the distal portion, and an attachment screw hole proximate the distal portion, the guide system comprising:
an aiming arm having a rigid body extending from a proximal end to a distal end with a plurality of aiming holes defined through the rigid body between the proximal end and the distal end thereof, the distal end defining an attachment slot through the body, and;
a connection assembly configured to engage the attachment screw hole and the attachment slot such that the aiming arm is fixed in position relative to the bone plate with each of the plurality of aiming holes aligned with a respective one of the first screw holes
at least one tissue protection sleeve configured to be positioned through one of the plurality of aiming holes such that the tissue protection sleeve defines a through bore from the aiming guide to a respective one of the first screw holes; and
positioning at least one drill sleeve through the tissue protection sleeve, the at least one drill sleeve having an outer sleeve body with a collapsible collet at a distal end thereof and an inner sleeve body extendable within the outer sleeve body such that the inner sleeve body engages the collet and maintains the collet in connection with one of the first screw holes.