System and method for minimally invasive clavicle plate application

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9757172-B2
Application number	US-201615334056-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2016
Priority date	Jan 27, 2010
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

A bone fixation plate, comprises an elongated body contoured to conform to the anatomy of a clavicle, the elongated body comprising a head at a first end and a shaft extending therefrom to a second end, the second end further comprising a reduced diameter tapered tip configured to permit insertion of the elongate body through a minimally invasive incision formed adjacent the clavicle. The bone fixation plate also comprises a first plate hole extending through the shaft from a proximal face to a distal face, the first plate hole formed as a combination hole and a second plate hole extending through the head from the proximal face to the distal face, the second plate hole being threaded.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for treating a bone in a living body, comprising:
cutting a minimally invasive incision into a portion of skin located adjacent one of a medial and lateral end of a clavicle;
manipulating fragments of the clavicle to achieve a desired spatial relationship therebetween;
inserting a bone plate through the minimally invasive incision, the bone plate being an elongated body contoured to conform to the anatomy of a clavicle, the elongated body comprising a head at a first end and a shaft extending therefrom to a second end, the second end further comprising a reduced diameter tapered tip configured to permit insertion of the elongate body through the minimally invasive incision, a first plate hole extending through the shaft from an outer surface which, in use, faces away from the clavicle to a bone facing surface thereof which, in use, faces the clavicle, the first plate hole being formed as a combination hole, and a second plate hole extending through the head from the outer surface to the bone facing surface, the second plate hole being threaded; and
inserting bone screws through the first and second plate holes into the clavicle to secure the bone plate to the clavicle.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of contouring the bone plate to conform to the shape of the clavicle prior to insertion in the body.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
inserting a drill guide into one of the first and second plate holes, the drill guide comprising an elongated hollow cylindrical body formed with a retractable reduced-diameter cylindrical distal tip; and
inserting a drill through the drill guide to form a bore in the bone, the bore guiding screwed insertion of the bone screws into the bone.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
applying a distally directed force on the drill guide to retract the distal tip into the cylindrical body, and to seat a distal rim of the cylindrical body against the bone, wherein engagement of the cylindrical body with a wall of one of the first and second plate holes positions the bore to extend from the wall.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of positioning the drill guide so that the distal tip abuts a wall of one of the first and second plate hole to position the bore against the wall.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the bone plate comprises a plurality of arced cutouts formed along an outer perimeter of the elongated body, the cutouts being formed as parts of a circle.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the bone plate is contoured to the shape of the clavicle by bending the bone plate at one or more of the cutouts.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second plate hole extends from the outer surface to the bone facing surface at an angle that is not perpendicular to the outer surface.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bone plate comprises a positioning marking indicating proper insertion orientation of the bone plate.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of inserting a depth gauge through the drill guide to determine a required bone screw length.

11. A method for treating a bone in a living body, comprising:
cutting a minimally invasive incision into a portion of skin located over a medial sternal end of a clavicle;
inserting a bone plate through the incision, the bone plate having an elongated body contoured to conform to the anatomy of a clavicle, the elongated body comprising a head at a first end and a shaft extending therefrom to a second end, the second end further comprising a reduced diameter tapered tip configured to permit insertion of the elongate body through the incision, a first plate hole extending through the shaft from an outer surface which, in use, faces away from the clavicle to a bone facing surface which, in use, faces the clavicle, the first plate hole being formed as a combination hole, and a second plate hole extending through the head from the outer surface to the bone facing surface, the second plate hole being threaded, the head including a lateral extension disposed between the first end and the second end, the lateral extension being contoured to rest on a target region of a lateral end of the clavicle, the lateral extension having a width greater than a substantially uniform width of the shaft;
inserting a drill guide into one of the first and second plate holes to form a bore in the bone; and
inserting bone screws through the first and second plate holes into the clavicle.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the drill guide comprises an elongated hollow cylindrical body formed with a retractable cylindrical distal tip.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising the step of applying a distally directed force on the drill guide to retract the distal tip into the cylindrical body to seat a distal rim of the cylindrical body against the clavicle, engagement of the cylindrical body with a wall of one of the first and second plate holes positions the bore to extend from the wall.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of positioning the drill guide so that the distal tip abuts a wall of one of the first and second plate holes to position the bore against the wall.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of contouring the bone plate to conform to the shape of the clavicle prior to insertion in the body.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the bone plate comprises a plurality of arced cutouts formed along an outer perimeter of the elongated body, the cutouts formed as parts of a circle.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the bone plate is contoured using a bending iron.

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising removing the bone screws and the bone plate from the clavicle after the bone has healed.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
unscrewing each of the bone screws a predetermined distance;
individually removing each of the bone screws from the bone plate; and
removing the bone plate from the body through the incision.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the bone plate includes a positioning marking indicating a proper insertion orientation of the bone plate.

Assignees

• Depuy Synthes Products Inc

Inventors

• Andermahr Jonas
• Mauch Flora
• Reichle Claudia
• Brun Philipp

Classifications

• A61B17/8061 Primary

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

• A61B17/809

  with bone-penetrating elements, e.g. blades or prongs (bone staples A61B17/0642; intramedullary nails with a plate at an end A61B17/7233) · CPC title

• A61B17/8057

  the interlocking form comprising a thread · CPC title