Patent ID: 7780711

Claim:
A fracture fixation system, comprising: a) a substantially rigid plate defining a plurality of holes adapted to individually receive bone supports therein, said holes each having an upper portion provided with a first internal thread; b) a plurality of bone supports each having a head portion and a shaft portion, said shaft portion sized to be received through said holes, and said head portion defining a ball portion with a first substantially spherical radius of curvature and having a plurality of pivot nubs fixed in a 90° spaced apart configuration about a circumference of said ball portion; and c) a plurality of set screws each having a body including a second thread rotationally engageable with said first thread, a proximal rotational engagement means for permitting a rotational force to be applied to said set screw, and a socket having said first substantially spherical radius of curvature such that each said set screw and its respective bone support are adapted to articulate relative to each other by movement of said ball portion within said socket, and for each said set screw said socket of said set screw captures said ball portion of one of said bone supports, said socket of each said set screw defines a plurality of slots, wherein when said ball portion is positioned in said socket, said pivot nubs extend within said plurality of slots to prevent rotation of said bone support relative to said set screw but permit said bone support to be articulated through a plurality of axial orientations relative to said socket while said bone support and set screw are prevented from relative rotational movement, and when said ball portion is articulated in a non-rotational manner through said axial orientations within said socket of said set screw, said nubs are moved radially within said slots of said set screw such that each said bone support may be positioned at a plurality of angles relative to an axis normal to a lower surface of said plate, and once positioned at a respective angle and said set screw is threaded into said upper portion of said hole of said plate, rotationally driving said set screw with a driver causes said set screw to drive said bone support at said respective angle.