Bone plate with pre-assembled drill guide tips

1. A bone plate system for use with a plurality of fasteners, each fastener having a shaft defining a longitudinal axis and a threaded head, the threaded head having a recessed tool engagement feature of a non-circular configuration transverse to the longitudinal axis, the tool engagement feature located in an upper surface of the head for receiving a distal end of a rotational driver, the system comprising:

a) a bone plate having a plurality of threaded holes, each threaded hole configured to threadedly engage the threaded head of one of the fasteners and defining a respective fixed hole axis, said plate having a bone contacting first surface, an opposite second surface, and a thickness extending in a dimension between said first and second surfaces;

b) a plurality of removable tubular drill guide tips threadedly engaged within said plurality of threaded holes of said bone plate in axial alignment with said fixed hole axes,

each drill guide tip having an external surface, a bore defining an internal surface, a proximal guiding end, a distal externally threaded end for engagement with said threaded holes, and a longitudinal axis extending through a radial center of said bore,

said external surface of said drill guide tip having a body portion with a length that extends above said second surface of said bone plate by more than said thickness of said bone plate, yet said length is sufficiently short so that said body portion does not interfere with a body portion of an adjacent drill guide tip, and

said external surface of said drill guide tip has a stop structure that prevents said drill guide tip from being driven through said plate, and a portion of said body portion that tapers away from the distal end proximal of said stop structure; and

c) a first instrument adapted to apply a rotational torque to said inner surface of said drill guide tip sufficient to remove said drill guide tip from engagement with said bone plate.

2. A bone plate system according to claim 1 , wherein said first instrument includes a square driver that engages said inner surface.

3. A bone plate system according to claim 1 , further comprising: a second instrument that axially mates over said upper surface of said drill guide tip.

4. A bone plate system according to claim 3 , wherein said second instrument is stably engageable relative to said drill guide tip.

5. A bone plate system according to claim 3 , wherein said external surface of said drill guide tip is non-circular in cross-section transverse to said longitudinal axis through said bore, and said second instrument is adapted to engage said non-circular cross-section and apply a rotational torque about said longitudinal axis.

6. A bone plate system according to claim 1 , wherein said inner surface of said drill guide tip defines at least one corner structure having a length that extends parallel to said longitudinal axis of said bore.

7. A bone plate system according to claim 6 , wherein, said inner surface of said drill guide tip includes exactly four of said corner structures so that said non-circular configuration defines four corners of a square.

8. A bone plate system according to claim 1 , wherein said distal externally threaded ends of said drill guide tips engage said threaded holes of said bone plate with no more than one and a one half threads.

9. A bone plate system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of said fixed hole axes is arranged in an oblique orientation relative to another.

10. A bone plate system according to claim 1 , wherein each of said fixed hole axes is arranged in an oblique orientation relative to all other fixed hole axes.

11. A bone plate system according to claim 1 , wherein said guiding end extends no more than approximately 0.25 inch from said second surface of the bone plate.

12. A bone plate kit, comprising:

a) a plurality of fasteners, each fastener having a shaft defining a longitudinal axis and a head with a first tool engagement feature;

b) a bone plate having a plurality of threaded holes, each threaded hole configured to receive said head of one of said fasteners and define a respective fixed hole axis, said plate having a bone contacting first surface, an opposite second surface, and a thickness extending in a dimension between said first and second surfaces;

c) a plurality of removable tubular drill guide tips pre-assembled in threaded engagement within said plurality of threaded holes of said bone plate,

each drill guide tip having an external surface, a cylindrical bore defining an internal surface, a proximal end, an externally threaded distal end for engagement with said threaded holes, and a longitudinal axis extending through a radial center of said bore,

said external surface of said drill guide tip having a body portion with a length that extends above said second surface of said bone plate by more than said thickness of said bone plate, yet said length is sufficiently short so that said body portion does not interfere with a body portion of an adjacent drill guide tip, and

each drill guide tip having structure that prevents passage of said drill guide tip completely through said threaded hole in said bone plate, wherein said body portion of said drill guide tip tapers away from the distal end proximal of said structure;

d) a first instrument adapted to apply a rotational torque to said inner surface of said drill guide tip sufficient to remove said drill guide tip from engagement with said bone plate; and

e) a second instrument adapted to axially mate over said exterior surface of said drill guide tip.

13. A bone plate kit according to claim 12 , wherein said first instrument includes a square driver that engages said inner surface.

14. A bone plate kit according to claim 12 , wherein said second instrument engages said external surface of said drill guide tip in a rotationally fixed manner.

15. A bone plate kit according to claim 12 , wherein said external surface of said drill guide tip is non-circular in cross-section transverse to said longitudinal axis through said bore, and said second instrument is adapted to engage said non-circular cross-section and apply a rotational torque about said longitudinal axis.

16. A bone plate kit according to claim 12 , wherein said external surface of said drill guide tip is non-circular in cross-section perpendicular to said longitudinal axis through said bore, and said second instrument is adapted to engage said non-circular cross-section and apply a rotational torque about said longitudinal axis.

17. A bone plate kit according to claim 12 , wherein a proximal end of said external surface defines a polygonal shape in a cross-section perpendicular to said longitudinal axis through said bore.

18. A bone plate kit according to claim 12 , wherein a proximal end of said external surface defines a hexagon in a cross-section perpendicular to said longitudinal axis through said bore.

19. A bone plate kit for use with a plurality of fasteners, each fastener having a shaft defining a longitudinal axis and a threaded head, the threaded head having a recessed tool engagement feature of a non-circular configuration transverse to the longitudinal axis, the tool engagement feature located in an upper surface of the head for receiving a distal end of a rotational driver, the system comprising:

a) a bone plate having a plurality of threaded holes, each threaded hole configured to threadedly engage the threaded head of one of the fasteners and defining a respective fixed hole axis, said plate having a bone contacting first surface, an opposite second surface, and a thickness extending in a dimension between said first and second surfaces;

b) a plurality of removable tubular drill guide tips threadedly engaged within said plurality of threaded holes of said bone plate in axial alignment with said fixed hole axes,

each drill guide tip having an external surface, a bore defining an internal surface, a proximal guiding end, a distal externally threaded end for engagement with said threaded holes, and a longitudinal axis extending through a radial center of said bore,

said external surface of said drill guide tip having a body portion with a length that extends above said second surface of said bone plate by more than said thickness of said bone plate, yet said length is sufficiently short so that said body portion does not interfere with a body portion of an adjacent drill guide tip, and said body portion having a tapered portion that tapers in a direction from said distal end to said proximal end; and

c) a first instrument adapted to apply a rotational torque to said drill guide tip sufficient to remove said drill guide tip from engagement with said bone plate.

20. A bone plate kit according to claim 19 , wherein:

said first instrument is adapted to apply a rotational torque to one of said internal surface and a feature on said external surface of said drill guide tip.

21. A bone plate kit according to claim 19 , wherein:

said external surface of said drill guide tip has a non-circular torque feature that is engageable by said first instrument.

22. A bone plate kit according to claim 19 , wherein:

each said drill guide tip and said bone plate at each said threaded hole cooperate to prevent said drill guide tip from passing completely through its respective threaded hole.

23. A bone plate kit according to claim 12 , wherein:

said external surface of each of said drill guide tips has a stop structure located between said tapered portion and said threaded end that prevents said drill guide tip from being driven through said plate.