Orthopedic plates for use in clavicle repair and methods for their use

1. An orthopedic plate system comprising at least one screw and an orthopedic clavicle plate having an inferior surface which is capable of facing a clavicle bone surface in use and which is pre-contoured to accommodate the shape of that bone surface and an oppositely facing concentric superior surface, the plate having a central trunk portion defining a longitudinal trunk axis extending between a first end and a second end and having at least a portion of the inferior surface which includes a curve transverse to the longitudinal axis, said plate including at the first end a pair of divergent arms which extend so as to form a left arm and a right arm, each arm including an arm screw hole which defines a central screw axis that converges toward the inferior surface of the plate and the arm being joined to the trunk portion by a link, each arm of the pair having a longitudinal arm axis which extends between the central screw axis and the longitudinal trunk axis defining an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the trunk area and the angle of the left arm being α and the angle of the right arm being β where α is different than β such that the screw axis of the right arm converges toward but does not impinge on the screw axis of the left arm and wherein the plate has a medial line which describes an S-curve in the lateral plane or in the longitudinal plane.

2. An orthopedic plate system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said at least one screw has a threaded shaft and a head and wherein the arm screw hole and the screw head have a mating interface such that the screw can engage the arm screw hole so as to allow a plurality of angular orientations of the screw axis.

3. An orthopedic plate system as set forth in claim 2 wherein the mating interface between the screw head and the arm screw holes allows for at least 30° of conical orientation of the screw axis in the screw hole.

4. An orthopedic plate system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said at least one screw has a threaded shaft and a head and wherein the arm screw hole and the screw head have a mating interface such that the screw can engage the arm screw hole so as to cause a locked angular orientation of the screw axis in the arm screw hole.

5. An orthopedic plate system as set forth in claim 4 wherein the screw head includes external threads and the arm screw hole includes corresponding internal threads.

6. An orthopedic plate as set forth in claim 5 wherein the system further includes a drill guide and the arm screw hole further includes guide ways for the drill guide which set the angle for the drill guide relative to the plate.

7. A surgical plate system comprising

a pre-contoured Y-shaped plate that has an inferior surface and which has a concentric superior surface, the plate consisting of a trunk and a pair of a first arm and a second arm,

the trunk having a medial line along the superior surface extending between a first and a second end, and the inferior surface of the plate defining a curve transverse to the medial line, the trunk including at least one screw hole and,

the first arm and the second arm extending from the first end of the trunk, the inferior surface of the first arm and of the second arm spiraling around the medial longitudinal axis of the trunk,

the first arm having an ear with at least one screw hole defining a first screw axis perpendicular to a tangent to the top surface of the first ear, the first ear being attached to the trunk by a linking section having a waist, a first angle and a first length being defined by a line from the center of the first arm screw hole to the intersection of the medial longitudinal axis of the trunk, and,

the second arm having a second ear with at least one second screw hole defining a second screw axis perpendicular to a tangent to the top surface of the second ear, the second ear being attached to the trunk by a linking section having a waist, a second angle and a second length being defined by a line from the center of the second arm screw hole to the intersection of the medial longitudinal axis of the trunk, and

wherein the waist of the linking section of the first arm and of the second arm is configured to bend relative to the trunk section in response to a force applied before or during surgery without deforming the screw hole and the first angle and the first length being different from the second angle and the second length whereby the first screw axis and the second screw axis converge toward the inferior side of the plate but do not intersect to allow for multiplanar fixation.

8. A surgical plate system as set forth in claim 7 wherein the medial line defines a larger curve in the longitudinal direction.

9. A surgical plate system as set forth in claim 8 wherein the larger curve forms a portion of a fishtail shaped curve.

10. A surgical plate system as set forth in claim 9 wherein the trunk has a through hole.

11. A surgical plate system as set forth in claim 10 wherein the trunk has at least two through holes and a waist area between the through holes which encourages bending of the waist area in response to a force applied before or during surgery.

12. A surgical plate system as set forth in claim 11 wherein the trunk has an obround slot.

13. A surgical plate system as set forth in claim 12 further including at least one screw having a threaded shaft and a head wherein at least one screw hole and the screw head have a mating interface such that the screw can engage the screw hole so as to allow a plurality of angular orientations of the screw axis.

14. A surgical plate system as set forth in claim 7 further including at least one screw having a threaded shaft and a head wherein at least one screw hole and the screw head have a mating interface such that the screw can engage the screw hole at a locked angular orientation of the screw axis.

15. A surgical plate system as set forth in claim 14 wherein the screw hole include internal threads and the screw head includes corresponding external threads which mate to fix the orientation of the screw in the screw hole.

16. A surgical plate system as set forth in claim 15 further including a drill guide and the screw hole includes guide keyways which orient the angle of the drill guide relative to the plate.

17. A surgical plate system as set forth in claim 7 wherein the plate is capable of being used on a clavicle.

18. A surgical plate system as set forth in claim 17 wherein the plate is capable of being used on an anterior or inferior aspect of a clavicle.