Hinged Bone Plate and Related Methods
A bone plate system comprising a thin plate and fasteners for securing the plate to at least two segments of bone. The plate may be hinged along the central axis, with a pair of collinear holes on each portion of the plate. Each of the holes accommodates a bolt which is screwed into the bone and secured to the plate using a nut.
1 . A system for rigidly affixing a first bone segment to at least a second bone segment, comprising:
a first plate having a first pair of openings, said first plate hingedly coupled to a second plate having a second pair of openings, wherein said first and second pairs of openings are dimensioned to receive bone anchor elements; and
a plurality of bone anchor elements dimensioned to be inserted through said first and second pairs of openings to rigidly affix said first and second plates to said first and second bone segments.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein said first and second bone segments comprise first and second vertebral bodies at adjacent vertebral levels within a spine.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein said first plate includes a first hinge element, said second plate includes a second hinge element, and said first and second plates are hingedly coupled together by engaging said first hinge element with said second hinge element.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said first pair of openings and said second pair of openings comprise elongated slots.
5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein said elongated slots extend along a longitudinal axis of at least one of said first and second plates.
6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein said second pair of openings lie at a 15° anterior angulation to the upper surface of said second plate.
7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein said first pair of openings extend to an outer edge of said first plate.
8 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of locking devices which may be fixed in position on said bone anchor elements.
9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein said locking devices comprise snap rings.
10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein said bone anchor elements comprise a plurality of bone engaging screws, each of said screws including a lower threaded section for affixing said screw within said bone.
11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second plates can be hingedly rotated away from at least one of said first and second bone segments during the plate affixation process.
12 . A method of affixing a first bone segment to a second bone segment, comprising:
providing a first plate having a first pair of openings hingedly coupled to a second plate having a second pair of openings; and
positioning said first and second plates against said first and second bone segments such at least one of said first pair of openings is aligned with said first bone segment and at least one of said second pair of openings is aligned with said second bone segment; and
introducing a plurality of bone anchor elements, one through each of said first and second pairs of openings to affix said first and second plates to said first and second bone segments.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein said first and second bone segments comprise first and second vertebrae at adjacent vertebral levels within the spine.
14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein said first plate includes a first hinge element, said second plate includes a second hinge element, and said first and second plates are hingedly coupled together by engaging said first hinge element with said second hinge element.
15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein said bone anchor elements comprise a plurality of bone engaging screws, each of said screws including a lower threaded section for affixing said screw within said bone.
16 . The method of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the first and second plates can be hingedly rotated away from at least one of said first and second bone segments during the plate affixation process.
17 . A system for performing orthopedic surgery, comprising:
a first plate having a first pair of openings and a first elongated hinge element, said first plate hingedly coupled to a second plate having a second pair of openings and a second elongated hinge element, wherein said first and second pairs of openings are dimensioned to receive bone anchor elements; and
a plurality of bone anchor elements dimensioned to be inserted through said first and second pairs of openings to rigidly affix said first and second plates to said first and second bone segments.
18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein said first and second plates are hingedly coupled together by engaging said first elongated hinge element with said second elongated hinge element.
19 . The system of claim 17 , wherein said bone anchor elements comprise a plurality of bone engaging screws, each of said screws including a lower threaded section for affixing said screws within bone.
20 . The system of claim 17 , wherein at least one of the first and second plates can be hingedly rotated away from at least one of said first and second bone segments during the plate affixation process.