Patent ID: 8906026

Claim:
A method for performing an osteotomy, the method comprising: forming a keyhole in a bone and then forming an osteotomy cut in the bone through the keyhole so as to define an upper keyhole portion and a lower keyhole portion; opening the bone so as to form a wedge-like opening; providing an osteotomy plate, wherein the osteotomy plate comprises: a body having a front side and a back side; an upper key element and a lower key element extending out of the back side of the body for disposition in the upper keyhole portion and the lower keyhole portion respectively formed in the bone, wherein the upper key element and the lower key element correspond to a window defined within a body of the osteotomy plate; and a plurality of mounting holes for receiving fixation screws therein, the mounting holes extending from the front side to the back side of the body, the mounting holes being formed such that when the key elements are disposed in the keyhole portions, the mounting holes direct fixation screws into the bone on either side of the wedge-like opening; positioning the osteotomy plate so that the back side of the osteotomy plate is positioned against the bone, the upper key element is positioned in the upper keyhole portion, and the lower key element is positioned in the lower keyhole portion; and passing fixation screws through the mounting holes formed in the osteotomy plate and into the bone so as to secure the osteotomy plate to the bone.