Patent ID: 8241338

Claim:
A bone plate kit, comprising: a) a plurality of fasteners, each fastener having a shaft defining a longitudinal axis and a threaded head, the threaded head having a first recessed non-cylindrical tool engagement feature, the tool engagement feature located in an upper surface of the head for receiving a distal end of a torque driver; b) a bone plate having a plurality of threaded holes, each threaded hole configured to threadedly engage said threaded head of one of said fasteners and defining a respective fixed hole axis, said plate having a bone contacting first surface, an opposite second surface, and a thickness extending in a dimension between said first and second surfaces; c) a plurality of removable tubular drill guide tips threadedly engaged within said plurality of threaded holes of said bone plate in axial alignment with said fixed hole axes, each drill guide tip having an external surface, an internal surface defining a bore, a proximal guiding end, a distal externally threaded end for engagement with said threaded holes, and a longitudinal axis extending through a radial center of said bore, said external surface of said drill guide tip having a body portion with a length that extends above said second surface of said bone plate by more than said thickness of said bone plate, yet said length is sufficiently short so that said body portion does not interfere with a body portion of an adjacent drill guide tip, said external surface defining a non-circular cross-section transverse to said longitudinal axis, each drill guide tip having a non-cylindrical tool engagement feature positioned above said second surface of said bone plate; and d) an elongate instrument that is engageable in a rotationally fixed position relative to said external surface of said drill guide tip.