Abstract:
A composite bone plate comprising: (a) a rigid ring that defines an internal opening and the outline of a bone plate; and, (b) a deformable material mounted to the rigid ring and at least partially spanning the internal opening, the deformable material including at least one through opening that is concurrently circumscribed by the rigid ring.

Description:
RELATED ART 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention is directed to implantable bone plates and, more specifically, to implantable bone plates that include deformable material through which one or more fasteners may extend to mount the bone plate to bone. 
     INTRODUCTION TO THE INVENTION 
     It is a first aspect of the present invention to provide a composite bone plate comprising: (a) a rigid ring that defines an internal opening and the outline of a bone plate, and (b) a deformable material mounted to the rigid ring and at least partially spanning the internal opening, the deformable material including at least one through opening that is concurrently circumscribed by the rigid ring. 
     In a more detailed embodiment of the first aspect, the deformable material comprises polyether ether ketone in a bone plate shape. In yet another more detailed embodiment, the deformable material is in the shape of a volar bone plate. In a further detailed embodiment, the deformable material comprises a higher volume percentage of the composite bone plate than does the rigid ring, and the deformable material comprises a lower weight percentage of the composite bone plate than does the rigid ring. In still a further detailed embodiment, the rigid ring comprises a metal and the rigid ring is in the shape of a volar bone plate. In a more detailed embodiment, the rigid ring comprises a metal and the rigid ring is in the shape of a spinal bone plate. In a more detailed embodiment, the rigid ring is concave on an inner circumferential surface, the deformable material is convex on an outer circumferential surface, and the inner circumferential surface contacts at least a portion of the outer circumferential surface. In another more detailed embodiment, the deformable material is concave on an outer circumferential surface, the rigid ring is convex on an inner circumferential surface, and the inner circumferential surface contacts at least a portion of the outer circumferential surface. In yet another more detailed embodiment, the deformable material includes a plurality of through openings, at least one of the plurality of through openings having a non-uniform circular vertical cross-section. 
     It is a second aspect of the present invention to provide a method of fabricating a bone plate comprising: (a) fabricating a deformable material into the shape of a bone plate, the deformable material including a plurality of through holes; (b) fabricating a rigid ring having an outline that tracks an outline of the deformable material; and, (c) mounting the deformable material to the rigid ring. 
     In a more detailed embodiment of the second aspect, the step of fabricating the deformable material includes shaping the deformable material into the shape of a volar bone plate. In yet another more detailed embodiment, the deformable material comprises polyether ether ketone. In a further detailed embodiment, the deformable material is fabricated in the shape of a volar bone plate. In still a further detailed embodiment, the step of mounting the deformable material to the rigid ring includes at least one of compressing an outer circumferential surface of the deformable material and expanding an inner circumferential surface of the rigid ring. 
     It is a third aspect of the present invention to provide a variable angle bone plate comprising: (a) a rigid frame; and, (b) a deformable material mounted to the rigid frame to create a bone plate, the bone plate having a plurality of holes extending through the deformable material, at least a first of the plurality of holes having a through axis that is not coaxial with a second of the plurality of through holes, wherein the bounds of the plurality of through holes are deformable without deforming the rigid frame. 
     In a more detailed embodiment of the third aspect, the deformable material comprises a higher volume percentage of the variable angle bone plate than does the rigid frame, and the deformable material comprises a lower weight percentage of the variable angle bone plate than does the rigid frame. In yet another more detailed embodiment, the rigid ring comprises a metal and the deformable material comprises polyether ether ketone. In a further detailed embodiment, at least one of the plurality of holes has a non-uniform circular vertical cross-section. In still a further detailed embodiment, the rigid frame is concave on an inner circumferential surface, the deformable material is convex on an outer circumferential surface, and the inner circumferential surface contacts at least a portion of the outer circumferential surface. In a more detailed embodiment, the deformable material is concave on an outer circumferential surface, the rigid frame is convex on an inner circumferential surface, and the inner circumferential surface contacts at least a portion of the outer circumferential surface. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an overhead view of a first exemplary composite bone plate in accordance with the instant disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a profile view of the deformable insert of the composite bone plate of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the exemplary composite bone plate of  FIG. 1  taken along line  3 - 3 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described and illustrated below to encompass implantable bone plates that include deformable material through which one or more fasteners may extend to mount the bone plate to bone. Of course, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the preferred embodiments discussed below are exemplary in nature and may be reconfigured without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. However, for clarity and precision, the exemplary embodiments as discussed below may include optional steps, methods, and features that one of ordinary skill should recognize as not being a requisite to fall within the scope of the present invention. It should also be noted that use of “or” as part of the instant disclosure should be construed to include the alternative and in conjunction. 
     Referencing  FIGS. 1-3 , a first exemplary bone plate  100  includes a non-metallic substrate  102  surrounded by a metallic frame  104 . In this exemplary embodiment, the substrate  102  comprises polyether ether ketone (PEEK) and is molded into the shape of a wrist plate for use with fractures of the wrist. And the frame  104  is fabricated from stainless steel and cupped about its internal perimeter to retain the substrate therein. In exemplary form, the inner circumferential surface of the metallic frame may be straight, concave, or convex, while the outer circumferential surface of the non-metallic substrate may be straight, concave, or convex. 
     Specifically, the substrate  102  includes a proximal head portion  106  and a distal shaft portion  108 . A top and opposed bottom surface  110 ,  112  of the substrate  102  are joined by a side or edge surface  114 . The proximal head portion  106  is substantially wider than the distal shaft portion  108  and includes a series of through holes  116  extending from the top surface  110  to the bottom surface  112 . Likewise, the distal shaft portion includes its own through holes  120 . 
     By way of example, and not limitation, the through holes  116 ,  120  may be non-threaded and take on a substantially constant circular cross-section along the vertical length of the hole. It should be understood, however, that various shaped through holes  116 ,  120  may be formed as part of the instant disclosure. For example, the through holes  116 ,  120  may be threaded. Moreover, the through holes  116 ,  120  may not include a substantially constant circular cross-section along the vertical length of the hole. An example of a through hole  116 ,  120  falling within this example would be a bowl-shaped hole where the circular cross-section at the top of the hole (or top surface) is substantially larger that the circular cross-section at the bottom of the hole (or bottom surface). Another example would be through holes  116 ,  120  have a conical or frustoconical shape. In addition, the through holes need not be circular in vertical cross-section. For instance, the holes  116 ,  120  may be elongated or comprise a series of overlapping circular holes. 
     It should also be noted that an axis extending through each hole  116 ,  120  is not required to be perpendicular to either or both of the top and bottom surfaces  110 ,  112  of the plate  100 . For instance, some of the through holes  116 ,  120  may be perpendicular with respect to the top or bottom surface  110 ,  112 , while other holes  116 ,  120  may have axes that are acutely or obtusely angled with respect to the top or bottom surface. 
     It should be further noted that the holes  116 ,  120  need not be the same size. Rather certain of the holes  116 ,  120  may have a circular cross-section with a diameter larger than the diameter of other circular cross-section holes  116 ,  120 . Likewise, some or all of the holes  116  need not have a circular cross-section. Rather, the holes  116 ,  120  may be elongated in a horizontal direction or take on shapes such as triangular or rectangular. Moreover, some or all of the holes  116 ,  120  need not have a constant circular cross-section. 
     By fabricating the substrate  102  from a deformable material such as PEEK, the holes  116 ,  120  may be slightly deformed by a fastener (e.g., a screw) to provide each fastener in a locked axial orientation that may be different from the original axial orientation of the hole. But the metallic frame  104  ensures that no matter how much the substrate  102  is deformed, the overall outline of the bone plate  100  will be retained. 
     It should also be noted that if the shape of the overall bone plate needs to be reformed, the metallic frame  104  is deformable to the same or a greater extent than if the entire bone plate had been fabricated from a uniform, metallic substrate. 
     Following from the above description and invention summaries, it should be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that, while the methods and apparatuses herein described constitute exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the invention contained herein is not limited to this precise embodiment and that changes may be made to such embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims. Additionally, it is to be understood that the invention is defined by the claims and it is not intended that any limitations or elements describing the exemplary embodiments set forth herein are to be incorporated into the interpretation of any claim element unless such limitation or element is explicitly stated. Likewise, it is to be understood that it is not necessary to meet any or all of the identified advantages or objects of the invention disclosed herein in order to fall within the scope of any claims, since the invention is defined by the claims and since inherent and/or unforeseen advantages of the present invention may exist even though they may not have been explicitly discussed herein.