Patent ID: 8197521

Claim:
A bone plate for the internal fixation of a fractured proximal radius bone, the proximal radius bone having a proximal articular surface with a surface axis extending through a center thereof, the bone plate, in an as machined configuration, consisting essentially of: a) a rigid body with proximal and distal ends defining a longitudinal axis, a medial edge and a lateral edge, an upper surface and a lower surface, the rigid body including first and second body holes at least one of which is threaded and defines a central axis; b) a first arm extending from the medial edge of the rigid body in a proximal-medial direction, the first arm including a first ring element attached to the medial edge of the body by a first bendable bridge element curved out-of-plane with the rigid body portion, the first ring element including a threaded first ring hole defining a first thread axis angled relative to the central axis; c) a second arm extending from the lateral edge of the rigid body in a proximal-lateral direction, the second arm including a second ring element attached to the lateral edge of the rigid body by a second bendable bridge element curved out-of-plane with the rigid body portion, the second ring element defining a threaded second ring hole having a second thread axis angled relative to the central axis; d) a third arm extending proximally from the rigid body and including a third ring element attached to the proximal end of the rigid body by a third bridge element, the third ring element including a threaded third ring hole defining a third thread axis; and e) a fourth arm extending distally from the rigid body, the fourth arm including a fourth ring element attached to the distal end of the rigid body, the fourth ring element including a threaded fourth ring hole defining a fourth thread axis, wherein the first, second and third arms extend substantially parallel to form a trident, wherein the first, second and third arms have a combined stiffness that approximates within twenty percent the stiffness of the rigid body, wherein each of the first and second body holes and first ring hole can receive a fastener for attaching the bone plate to the bone, and wherein the first, second and third thread axes through the first, second and third ring holes converge towards the surface axis of the proximal articular surface of the radius bone when the plate is positioned on the proximal radius so as to be substantially aligned thereon.