Metacarpal neck plate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11540864-B2
Application number	US-202016949832-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2020
Priority date	Jun 30, 2014
Publication date	Jan 3, 2023
Grant date	Jan 3, 2023

Abstract

A bone plate sized and shaped for fixation to a metacarpal includes a head extending from a first end to a second end and having first and second fixation element holes extending therethrough along first and second fixation element hole axes, wherein the first hole axis diverges from the second hole axis on a bone facing side of the plate, the head having a first notch on the first end centered on the central longitudinal axis, the first notch formed as a indentation on an outer wall of the bone plate sized and shaped to accommodate a collateral ligament when the plate is fixed to a metacarpal in a desired position and a shaft extending from the second end of the head to a third end along the central longitudinal axis, the shaft including an elongated fixation element hole elongated in a direction parallel to the central longitudinal axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for bone fixation, comprising:
positioning a bone plate over a lateral surface of a metacarpal, the bone plate including a head having first and second fixation element holes extending therethrough along first and second holes axes, the first hole axis diverging from the second hole axis on a bone facing side of the head, the head having a first notch on a first end thereof centered about a central longitudinal axis of the bone plate, the first notch being formed as an indentation in an outer wall of the bone plate sized and shaped to accommodate a collateral ligament when the bone plate is fixed to the metacarpal in a desired location and a shaft including a third fixation element hole extending therethrough;
inserting a fixation element into an elongated fixation element hole extending through the shaft, wherein the elongated fixation element hole is elongated in a direction parallel to the central longitudinal axis;
sliding the bone plate over the bone within a range of motion limited by a length of the elongated fixation element hole to the desired location over the lateral surface of the metacarpal; and
inserting fixation elements into the first, second and third fixation element holes to lock the bone plate over the metacarpal.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein one of the fixation elements is inserted into one of the first and second fixation element holes prior to the insertion of another one of the fixation elements into the third fixation element hole.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
positioning a guide wire in the bone;
passing the guide wire through a guide wire hole of the bone plate; and
guiding the bone plate over the guide wire to the desired location.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bone plate is positioned so that the bone facing surface of the head of the bone plate is seated flush with a neck portion of the metacarpal and the collateral ligament is received within the first notch.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the head is angled away from a plane of the shaft so that, when the head of the bone plate is seated flush with the neck portion of the metacarpal, the shaft extends distally along a length of the metacarpal.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bone plate is positioned over a fifth metacarpal.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second hole axes are symmetric with respect to the central longitudinal axis.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising inserting a fixation element into one of fourth and fifth fixation element holes extending through the head of the bone plate along fourth and fifth fixation hole axes, respectively, wherein the first, second, fourth and fifth hole axes diverge from one another on the bone facing the side of the head.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the fourth and fifth hole axes are symmetric with respect to the central longitudinal axis, a third hole axis being complementary to the fourth hole axis.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising inserting a fixation element into a sixth fixation element hole extending through the head along a sixth hole axis orthogonal to a plane in which the shaft is located.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising inserting a fixation element into a seventh fixation element hole extending through the shaft along a seventh hole axis.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the shaft includes a plurality of second notches formed in first and second lateral walls thereof, the second notches defining reduced width regions of the shaft.

13. A method for bone fixation, comprising:
positioning a bone plate over a dorsal surface of a target bone, the target bone being one of a second metacarpal, a third metacarpal and a fourth metacarpal, the bone plate including a head having first and second fixation element holes extending therethrough along first and second plate axes, a first hole axis diverging from a second hole axis on a bone facing side of the head, the head having a notch on a first end thereof centered on a central longitudinal axis of the bone plate, the notch being formed as an indentation in an outer wall of the bone plate sized and shaped to accommodate a collateral ligament when the bone plate is fixed to the target bone in a desired location and a shaft including a third fixation element hole extending therethrough;
inserting a fixation element into an elongated fixation element hole extending through the shaft, wherein the elongated fixation element hole is elongated in a direction parallel to the central longitudinal axis;
sliding the bone plate over the bone within a range of motion limited by a length of the elongated fixation element hole to the desired location over dorsal surface of the target bone; and
inserting fixation elements into the first, second and third fixation element holes to lock the bone plate over the target bone.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein one of the fixation elements is inserted into one of the first and second fixation element holes prior to the insertion of another one of the fixation elements into the third fixation element hole.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
positioning a guide wire in the bone;
passing the guide wire through a guide wire hole of the bone plate; and
guiding the hone plate over the guide wire to the desired location.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the bone plate is positioned so that the bone facing surface of the head of the bone plate is seated flush with a neck portion of the target bone and the collateral ligament is received within the notch.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the head is angled away from a plane of the shaft so that, when the head of the bone plate is seated flush with the neck portion of the target bone, the shaft extends distally along a length of the target bone.

18. The method of claim 13 , further comprising inserting a further one of the fixation elements into one of fourth and fifth fixation element holes extending through the head of the bone plate along fourth and fifth fixation hole axes, respectively, wherein the first, second, fourth and fifth hole axes diverge from one another on the bone facing the side of the head and are symmetric with respect to the central longitudinal axis, a third hole axis being complementary to the fourth hole axis.

19. The method of claim 13 , further comprising inserting a further one of the fixation elements into a sixth fixation element hole extending through the head along a sixth hole axis orthogonal to a plane in which the shaft is located.

20. The method of claim 13 , further comprising inserting a further one of the fixation elements into a seventh fixation element hole extending through the shaft along a seventh hole axis.

Assignees

• Depuy Synthes Products Inc

Inventors

• Rocci Mirko
• Fischer Fabienne
• Cicoira Franco
• Langer Martin

Classifications

• A61B17/8061 Primary

  specially adapted for particular bones (A61B17/70 and A61B17/74 take precedence) · CPC title