Orthopedic plate for use on a single ray in the midfoot

1. A plate system for use in associated bone comprising a locking screw, a non-locking screw having a head, and a plate having a top surface and a bone facing surface, the plate consisting essentially of a peanut-shaped profile having a locking hole and a compression slot, the profile comprising a first rounded tab terminating in a portion of a circle and a second rounded tab terminating in a portion of a circle and the first rounded tab and the second rounded tab being aligned along a medial longitudinal axis and joined by a middle section having incurvatures to form a curving waist section wherein the middle section has a width perpendicular to the medial longitudinal axis which is smaller than the width of either the first rounded tab or the second rounded tab, the first rounded tab including the locking hole having internal threads for a locking screw, the locking hole having a midline, and the second rounded tab including a compression slot having a long axis, the compression slot defining a first lateral edge and a second lateral edge which each include an inclined shoulder that slopes downward toward the bone facing surface of the plate parallel to the long axis of the compression slot, the midline of the locking hole and the long axis of the compression slot being aligned along the medial longitudinal axis of the plate, and the inclined shoulder of the compression slot being engaged by the non-locking screw head to cause the translation of the non-locking screw along the long axis of the slot and towards the locking hole to cause compression in the direction of the long axis in the associated bone toward the locking hole in use, and the plate optionally including at least one other hole for a k wire.

2. A plate system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the plate has a generally uniform thickness between the top surface and the bone facing surface.

3. A plate system as set forth in claim 2 wherein the bone facing surface includes a radius of curvature along the longitudinal axis.

4. A plate system as set forth in claim 3 wherein the plate comprises a portion of a cylinder.

5. A plate system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the locking screw includes a variable locking mechanism.

6. A plate system for use in associated bone comprising a locking screw having distal threads and a head having external threads, a non-locking screw having distal threads and a head having a rounded surface, and a plate being a section of a cylinder and having a medial longitudinal axis and a transverse medial axis and having a profile with bilateral mirror symmetry about the medial longitudinal axis, the plate consisting of a first end having a locking hole and a second end having a compression slot, the first end being a first tab having a terminal circular portion having a first diameter and a second end being a second tab having a terminal circular portion having a second diameter which may be the same or different than the first diameter, the first and second end being aligned along the medial longitudinal axis of the plate and joined by a middle section formed by incurvatures to form a curving waist section which has a width in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the first tab including the locking hole for a locking screw having a midline, and the compression slot being an obround slot having a long axis and the compression slot defining a first lateral edge and a second lateral edge which each include an inclined shoulder that slopes downward toward the bone facing surface of the plate and parallel to the long axis of the compression slot, the midline of the locking hole and the long axis of the compression slot being aligned along the medial longitudinal axis of the plate and the inclined shoulder of the compression slot being engageable by the non-locking screw head to cause the translation of the non-locking screw along the long axis of the slot and toward the locking hole to cause compression in the direction of the long axis in the associated bone toward the locking hole in use, and optionally including a hole for a k-wire.

7. A plate system as set forth in claim 6 wherein the system further includes a drill guide which interacts with the locking hole to allow a pilot hole to be drilled in the associated bone at a desired angle.

8. A plate system as set forth in claim 7 wherein the drill guide includes guides and the locking hole includes grooves which capture the guides to fix the angle of the drill guide.

9. A method of fusing bones, comprising:

surgically accessing a bone,

selecting a plate which is a section of a cylinder and having a profile with bilateral mirror symmetry along a medial longitudinal axis of the plate, the profile being a peanut-shape comprising a first end which is a tab having a terminal circular portion having a first diameter and a second end which is a tab having a terminal circular portion having a second diameter which may be the same or different than the first diameter, the first and second end being aligned along a medial longitudinal axis of the plate and joined by a middle section formed by incurvatures to form a curving waist section which has a width in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the width being smaller than the first diameter and the second diameter, the first tab including a locking hole having a midline for a locking screw, and the second tab including an obround compression slot, the compression slot having a long axis and the compression slot defining a first lateral edge and a second lateral edge which each include an inclined shoulder that slopes downward toward the bone facing surface of the plate and parallel to the long axis of the compression slot, the midline of the locking hole and the long axis of the compression slot being aligned along the medial longitudinal axis of the plate, the midline of the locking hole and the long axis of the compression slot being aligned along the longitudinal axis, the plate consisting of the peanut shaped profile having the locking hole and the compression hole, and optionally a hole for a k-wire;

fixing a locking screw in the locking hole;

fixing a non-locking screw in the compression slot so that the inclined shoulder of the compression slot is engaged by the non-locking screw head to cause the translation of the non-locking screw along the long axis of the slot and towards the locking hole to cause compression in the associated bone along the long axis of the slot and toward the locking hole.

10. A method of fusing bones as set forth in claim 9 wherein a drill guide is used to drill a pilot hole for the non-locking screw.

11. A method of fusing bones as set forth in claim 10 wherein a drill guide is used to drill a pilot hole for the locking screw.