Abstract:
A bone plate is provided including a first slot oriented along a longitudinal axis and a slider longitudinally displaceable along the first slot, said slider including a second slot oriented transversely to the longitudinal axis.

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY 
       [0001]    This application is being, filed as a non-provisional patent application under 35 U.S.C. §111(b) and 37 CFR §1.53(c). This application claims priority under 35 §111(e) to U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/815,634 filed on Apr. 24, 2013, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
       [0002]    The invention relates generally to bone plates and in particular to bone plates adapted to receive fasteners through slots that allow temporary repositioning of the bone plate. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Bone plates for osteosynthesis are known in the art. Many known bone plates include slots adapted to receive fasteners therethrough that allow a limited range of adjustability for the temporary repositioning of the plate on a bone. For purpose of illustration,  FIG. 1  shows one such prior art bone plate  100  having a slot  110 ′, that allows for temporary repositioning of the plate  100  on a bone along longitudinal axis  200 ′, distally and/or proximally, as indicated by double-headed arrow L′ and also rotating the plate, as indicated by double headed arc A′ centered upon a fastener (not shown) located into a hole  400 ′ that may be pre-drilled into the bone. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    It is among the objects of the present invention to overcome the limitations of the heretofore-known devices by providing inventive features to achieve further degrees of adjustability for the temporary repositioning, of a bone plate. In particular it is considered advantageous to provide, in addition to longitudinal and rotational adjustability, temporary repositioning of the bone plate laterally, that is, along an axis transverse to a longitudinal axis of the bone plate. 
         [0005]    Although the invention is illustrated herein as embodied within a bone plate for osteosynthesis it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to an osteosynthesis plate or to only the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims. 
         [0006]    The construction of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of the specific disclosed embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is a plan view of the non-bone contacting side of prior art bone plate having a longitudinal slot. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a top plan view of the non-bone contacting side of a plate of the instant invention having a longitudinal slot and a slider having a transversal slot. 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the plate of  FIG. 2  placed upon a bone showing, disassembled, the plate, the slider, a bone fastener and the location of a hole made by, or adapted to receive a fastener. 
           [0010]      FIG. 4A  is a top plan view of a bone indicating the location of a hole made by or adapted to receive a fastener. 
           [0011]      FIG. 4B  is a top plan views of the plate of  FIG. 2  placed upon the bone of  FIG. 4A  and loosely held by the bone fastener of  FIG. 3  that has been inserted in the hole of  FIG. 4A , the plate being shown in a proximal position, not laterally displaced and not rotated. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4C-4D  are top plan views of the plate of  FIG. 4B , the plate being shown, respectively, in a central and in a distal position, not laterally displaced and not rotated. 
           [0013]      FIG. 5A  is identical to  FIG. 4A  and is shown for ease of reference. 
           [0014]      FIGS. 5B-5D  are top plan views of the plate of  FIG. 2  placed upon the bone of  FIG. 5A  in a proximal position, the plate being shown, respectively, laterally displaced and rotated counterclockwise; not laterally displaced and not rotated and laterally displaced and rotated clockwise. 
           [0015]      FIG. 6A  is identical to  FIG. 4A  and is shown for ease of reference, 
           [0016]      FIGS. 6B-6D  are top plan views of the plate of  FIG. 2  placed upon the bone of  FIG. 6A  in a central position, the plate being shown, respectively, laterally displaced and rotated counterclockwise; not laterally displaced and not rotated and laterally displaced and rotated clockwise. 
           [0017]      FIG. 7A  is identical to  FIG. 4A  and is shown for ease of reference. 
           [0018]      FIGS. 7B-7D  are top plan views of the plate of  FIG. 2  placed upon the bone of  FIG. 7A  in a distal position, the plate being shown, respectively, laterally displaced and rotated counterclockwise; not laterally displaced and not rotated and laterally displaced and rotated clockwise. 
           [0019]      FIGS. 8A-8B  are respectively, longitudinal and transverse exploded cross sectional perspective views of the plate of  FIG. 3  showing structural features of the longitudinal slot, the slider and the transversal slot. 
           [0020]      FIGS. 9A-9C  are partial exploded perspective views, successively enlarged for clarity, of an alternate embodiment of the structural features of the longitudinal slot and the slider of the plate of  FIG. 3   
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION 
       [0021]    Referring now to  FIG. 2 , therein is shown a bone plate  100  of the instant invention. Plate  100  has a bone contacting surface and an opposite, non-bone contacting surface (which is the surface visible in  FIG. 2 ) and can made of bio-compatible metal, plastic, ceramic or other suitable material, as desired. Plate  100  includes a slot  110  that allows for temporary repositioning of the plate  100  on bone along longitudinal axis  200 , distally and/or proximally as indicated by double-headed arrows L and also rotating the plate as indicated by double headed arc A centered upon a fastener (not shown) located into a hole  400  that may be pre-drilled into the bone. Plate  100  further includes a slider  120  adapted to slide upon slot  110 , distally and proximally, along axis  200  and further having a slot  130  oriented along axis  250 , transverse to longitudinal axis  20 Q that, allows temporary repositioning of the bone plate  100  laterally in two directions along transversal axis  250  as indicated by double-headed arrows T. 
         [0022]    Referring now to  FIG. 3  therein is shown an exploded perspective view of bone plate  100  placed on a bone R (in this case, a radius bone for illustration purposes only and not intended to be limiting). A surgeon temporarily attaches bone plate  100  to bone R by first pre-drilling a hole  400  in an approximately desirable location into bone R and then inserts bone fastener  600  through slot  130  of slider  120  and continuing through slot  110  of plate  100  and loosely screws fastener  600  into the hole  400 . To allow temporary repositioning of the plate  100 , fastener  600  is not fully tightened into hole  400  until such a time as the surgeon repositions the plate into a final desired position, at which time, fastener  600  can be fully tightened, thereby fixing the location of the plate  100  before continuing the surgery. The surgeon may use additional fasteners (not shown) through additional holes in the bone plate  100  to permanently affix bone plate  100  to bone R. It is noted that, although illustrated in  FIG. 3  unassembled, plate  100  may be provided to the surgeon with slider  120  pre-assembled into slot  110 . 
         [0023]    Referring now to  FIG. 4A , therein is shown a bone R with surge pre-drilled hole  400  prior to installing bone plate  100 . Lateral axis  250 , drawn through center of hole  400  is shown to indicate the relative positioning of plate  100  in the subsequent Figures.  FIGS. 4B-4D  show bone plate  100  positioned on bone R and loosely held by a fastener  600  that has been inserted but not fully tightened into hole  400 . In particular,  FIG. 4B  shows the plate  100  in a proximal position;  FIG. 4C  shows plate  100  in central position and  FIG. 4D  shows the plate in a distal position. The terms “proximal”, “central” and “distal”, indicated respectively by the letters P, C and D refer to the position of the distal edge of plate  100  (represented by dotted line E) relative to the previously described axis  250 . Also indicated in  FIGS. 4B-4D  is the skewness of plate  100  relative to the underlying bone R that in all of the aforementioned Figures is shown to be neutral (not skewed) as diagrammatically expressed by double-headed dashed arrow N. 
         [0024]      FIG. 5A  is identical to  FIG. 4A  and is shown for ease of reference. Referring now to  FIGS. 5B-5D  therein are shown, plate  100  positioned proximally (P) that is, with aforementioned edge F in the closest possible position relative to axis  250 .  FIG. 5B  shows plate  100  skewed counterclockwise as diagrammatically expressed by dashed arrow CCW and displaced laterally upwards along the transversal axis  250 ;  FIG. 5C  shows plate  100  positioned proximally with no lateral displacement and no skew as indicated by double-headed dashed arrow N and  FIG. 5D  shows plate P positioned proximally and skewed clockwise as indicated by dashed arrow CW and displaced laterally downwards along to the transversal axis  250 . 
         [0025]      FIG. 6A  is identical to  FIG. 4A  and is shown for ease of reference. Referring now to  FIGS. 6B-6D  therein are shown, respectively, the bone plate  100  positioned with skewness and lateral displacement correspondingly similar to  FIGS. 5B-5D  when plate  100  is positioned centrally (C) that is, with the aforementioned edge E in an intermediate position relative to axis  250 . 
         [0026]      FIG. 7A  is identical to  FIG. 4A  and is shown for ease of reference. Referring now to  FIGS. 7B-7D  therein are shown, respectively, the bone plate  100  positioned with skewness and lateral displacement correspondingly similar to  FIGS. 5B-5D  when plate  100  is positioned distally (D) that is, with the aforementioned edge F in the farthest position relative to axis  250 . 
         [0027]    Referring now to  FIGS. 8A-8B  therein are shown, in perspective cross sections, details of one particular embodiment of slot  110  of plate  100  and of slider  120 . In particular, guide tracks  111  on opposite sides of slot  110  are configured to allow the displacement of slider  130  longitudinally along slot  110  when grooves  121 , on opposite sides of slider  120  are cooperatively engaged with tracks  111  of slot  110  while, simultaneously, impeding the disengagement of slider  120  from plate  100  when fastener  600  is definitively tightened by the surgeon. 
         [0028]    Referring now to  FIGS. 9A   9 C therein is shown in enlarged detail a further particular embodiment of the instant invention. In this particular embodiment slider  220  is provided with protrusions or knobs  221  on opposite sides of the slider  220 , adapted to cooperatively, but loosely, engage with grooves  211  on opposite sides of longitudinal slot  210  when slider  220  is press-fit into slot  210  in the direction of the dashed arrow W. Overhang  22  of slider  220  is adapted to cooperate with ledge  212  of slot  210  to prevent slider from being urged out through the underside of slot  210  when the fastener  600  is definitively tightened by the surgeon. 
         [0029]    Although described above in connection with a bone plate for osteosynthesis these descriptions are not intended to be limiting, as a plate with transversal slots can be made in accordance with the description herein of different materials, size or scale, and for other uses, as desired. As such, although the invention is illustrated and described herein, various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.