Patent ID: 8337533

Claim:
A system for contouring a locking plate, comprising: a locking plate that includes a plurality of threaded screw holes connected to one another by one or more ribs; at least one bender that includes: a threaded tip configured to threadably engage one or more of the plurality of threaded screw holes; and a shoulder operable to transmit mechanical force to the locking plate once the threaded tip is threadably engaged with one of the plurality of threaded screw holes; wherein the at least one bender comprises a shaft having a threaded extension and a shoulder piece threadably engaged with a first portion of the threaded extension such that a second portion of the threaded extension extends through the shoulder piece to form the threaded tip of the bender; and wherein a thickness of each of the one or more ribs is less than a thickness of a rim surrounding each of the plurality of threaded screw holes to facilitate bending of the ribs when the mechanical force is applied to the locking plate.