Patent ID: 8568462

Claim:
A bone plate system for the internal fixation of a fractured long bone, the system comprising: a) a metal plate having an upper surface and a bone contacting lower surface, a first end and a second end, said plate defining an arrangement of a plurality of holes at least three of which are threaded holes and one of said threaded holes located adjacent said first end; b) a plurality of first-type drill guides, each unitarily formed for handling as a single element, each of said first-type drill guides including: i) a tubular body having a proximal end, a distal end, a first length extending between said proximal and distal ends of 10 to 15 mm, and a first outer diameter, ii) an axial cylindrical bore extending through said first-type drill guide of a diameter and length for stably guiding a drill, iii) an internal non-cylindrical tool engagement feature within said bore at said proximal end of said body for engagement with a tool for applying a rotational force for removal of the drill guide from the threaded hole, and iv) a threaded portion extending distally from said distal end of said body to engage said tubular body with said threaded holes such that said proximal end of said body extends above said upper surface of said plate, said first-type drill guides being removably preassembled into respective ones of said threaded holes; and c) a second-type drill guide of unitarily formed structure that is handled as a single element and consisting essentially of: i) a body having a rounded, bulbous proximal end, a distal end, a second length extending between said proximal and distal ends of 3 to 7 mm, said body having a second outer diameter larger than said first outer diameter of said of body of said first-type drill guide and larger than said threaded holes of said plate, ii) an axial cylindrical bore extending through said second-type drill guide of a diameter and length for stably guiding a drill, iii) a threaded portion extending distally from said distal end of said body to engage said body with said threaded holes such that said bulbous proximal end of said body extends above said upper surface of said plate, and iv) an internal non-cylindrical tool engagement feature within said bore at said bulbous proximal end of said body adapted for engagement with a tool for applying a rotational force for removal of the drill guide from threaded engagement within the threaded hole, said second-type drill guide being removably preassembled into at least one of said threaded holes including said one of said threaded holes located adjacent said first end of said plate, and wherein both said first-type and second-type of drill guides are preassembled independently and directly to said plate at the same time, and wherein said second-type drill guide has a sufficiently low profile to allow insertion of said first end of said plate under retracted tissue while said second-type drill guide is preassembled within said one of said threaded holes located adjacent said first end of said plate.