Patent ID: 8343195

Claim:
A method of inserting a bone screw comprising the steps of: (a) providing a drill guide including a shaft having a front end, a rear end, and a bore therethrough, and a housing having a proximal end, a distal end and an alignment portion, the proximal end being coupled to the shaft, the housing further including a slot extending from the distal end of the housing to form a gap between the distal end of the housing and the distal end of the shaft, the slot terminating in an enlarged opening, and providing a bone plate having a first fixation hole for receiving a bone screw, a first drill guide key and a first retention mechanism for engaging a first bone screw; (b) associating the drill guide with the plate at a desired angle including: fixedly engaging the first guide key with the alignment portion; and inserting an outer diameter of the front end of the shaft within a diameter of the first fixation hole, wherein the first fixation hole diameter is larger than the outer diameter, and aligning the bore with the first fixation hole without fixedly associating the front end with the plate; and contacting the front end of the shaft with a top surface of the first retention mechanism; (c) inserting an instrument into the bore; (d) removing the instrument from the bore; (e) inserting a bone screw into the bore; and (f) engaging the first bone screw with the first retention mechanism without substantially displacing the drill guide relative to the bone plate.