Patent ID: 8162950

Claim:
A method for drilling holes in bone for receiving bone screws comprising: placing a bone plate having at least two bone screw receiving holes therethrough on a bone; placing a drill guide block on the bone plate, the drill guide block having at least two drill guide bores placed in alignment with the bone screw receiving holes of the bone plate; inserting a first locking element into a first of the drill guide bores of the guide block and into engagement with a corresponding first bone screw receiving hole in the bone plate; inserting a second locking element mounted on the drill guide block into engagement with a hole in the bone plate; and drilling a hole in the bone using a second drill guide bore on the drill guide block and through a second bone screw receiving hole on the bone plate and further comprising removing the first locking element from the first drill guide bore and inserting the first locking element in the second drill guide bore and drilling a hole in the bone using the first drill guide bore.