Patent ID: 8257404

Claim:
An orthopedic bone plate, suitable for internally fixating and stabilizing a fractured bone, comprising: an elongated structure, capable of contraction and expansion only in a longitudinal direction and having at least two ends, said structure having at least two fixation points adapted to be fixated to the fractured bone with said fixation points on opposing sides of a fracture; wherein said elongated structure comprises at least two members coupled by a sliding engagement, arranged to contract by sliding; wherein said at least two members are adapted for fixation to the fractured bone at the fixation points by at least one cerclage cable, said at least one cerclage cable adapted to be seated in a grooved portion of said orthopedic bone plate, the grooved portion comprising at least one groove formed in at least one of the two members along an axis transverse to the longitudinal direction, wherein said at least one cerclage cable is adapted to be circumferentially looped around said fractured bone and said orthopedic bone plate; and an elastic, polymeric cable, said polymeric cable having a compressive force to strain ratio ranging from 160 to 1800 Newtons, said polymeric cable longitudinally extended and coupled to said elongated structure, capable of storing 0.5-10 Joules of energy, and capable of causing said structure to contract and expand in said longitudinal direction while preventing torsion and movement in the transverse direction.