Filing Information

Inventor(s)	Jorge L. Orbay · Javier E. Castaneda · Juergen A. Kortenbach · Robert Sixto, Jr. ·
Assignee(s)	DePuy Products, Inc. ·  View assignee updates
Attorney/Agent(s)	Gordon & Jacobson, PC ·
Primary Examiner	Eduardo C Robert ·
Assistant Examiner	Tara R George ·
Application Number	US11459877
Filing date	07/25/2006
Issue date	06/22/2010
Prior Publication Data	US20070233112 - 10/04/2007
Predicted expiration date	10/06/2027
Patent term adjustment	565
U.S. Classifications	606/101  · 606/86.B  · 606/279  ·
International Classifications	A61B1788  ·
Kind Code	B2
Related U.S. Application Data	CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 11/384,841, filed Mar. 20, 2006, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

Patent Family

Abstract

Removable guide tips are pre-assembled into threaded holes of a fracture fixation plate. The guide tips may be used with or without drill guides to guide a drill along the axes of threaded holes defined in the plate. In addition, the tips may be used with bending tools to contour the plate laterally, longitudinally and with twist. More particularly, such plate contouring can be performed while the plate is located on the bone.

Independent Claims | See all claims (16)

1. 1. A method of shaping a bone plate, comprising: a) providing a plate with holes and a plurality of discrete removable tubular guides coupled within the holes; b) first coupling a first portion, but not a second portion, of the plate to the bone with a bone screw; c) engaging at least one bending tool at least one of the removable guides located between the first and second portions; d) after said first coupling, manipulating the at least one bending tool to bend the plate; and e) after said manipulating to bend the plate, second coupling another portion of the plate to the bone with another bone screw.
2. 10. A method of shaping a plate on a bone, comprising: a) providing a bone plate having a bone contacting surface and an upper surface opposite the bone contacting surface, the plate having a plurality of holes and removable tubular elements assembled in the holes, the tubular elements when so assembled extending less than one inch above the upper surface of the plate; b) positioning the plate on a bone, the plate having first and second ends; and c) while the plate is on the bone but prior to securing both the first and second ends to the bone, using first and second plate shaping tools having ends engaged at respective ones of the tubular elements to apply a force to the plate to bend the plate relative to the bone so that the plate better conforms to the bone.