Bone plate with a transfixation screw hole

1. A system for securing two discrete bones together across a joint between the two bones, comprising:

the plate comprises:

an elongate spine having:

a first end comprising:

at least one fixation point for attaching the first end to a first discrete bone on a first side of an intermediate joint; and

a first inner surface configured to substantially conform with a geometry of the first discrete bone;

a second end comprising:

at least one fixation point for attaching the second end to a second discrete bone on a second side of the joint; and

a second inner surface configured to substantially conform with a geometry of the second discrete bone; and

a bridge portion disposed between the first end and the second end, the bridge portion configured to span across the joint, at least a portion of said bridge portion having a thickness greater than at least a portion of the thickness of either the first end or the second end; and

a transfixation screw hole disposed along the spine, the transfixation screw hole comprising an inner surface configured to direct the transfixation screw through the transfixation screw hole such that the transfixation screw extends the bridge portion at a trajectory configured to pass through a first position on the first discrete bone, a portion of the joint, and a second position on the second discrete bone once the plate is placed across the joint; and

the transfixation screw comprises a head configured to abut the inner surface of the transfixation screw hole and a shaft configured to contiguously extend through the first discrete bone, through the joint, and into the second discrete bone so as to absorb tensile load when the second discrete bone is loaded relative to the first discrete bone thereby transferring the tensile load from the second discrete bone, through the screw into said head and said bridge portion.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

a central axis of the inner surface of the transfixation screw hole defines the trajectory; and

the trajectory is configured to cross a neutral bending axis of the joint once the plate is placed across the joint.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the first position resides on a compression side of the joint and the second position resides on a tension side of the joint.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the trajectory is configured to pass through the joint at a transfixation angle between about 30 degrees and about 70 degrees measured from the neutral bending axis.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein the trajectory is configured to pass through the joint at a transfixation angle of about 50 degrees measured from the neutral bending axis.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the inner surface of the transfixation screw hole is configured to lockably engage the head of the transfixation screw.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plate further include a compression hole defined by an inner surface in the plate surrounding an oblong opening, the inner surface of the compression hole including, at one end, a horse-shoe-shaped countersink.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein each at least one attachment point comprises a threaded screw hole defined by a threaded inner surface configured to lockably engage one of a plurality of locking bone screws.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the transfixation screw comprises a lag screw having:

at a first end of the shaft adjacent to the head, an unthreaded portion configured to extend through the first bone; and

at a second end of the shaft adjacent to the tip, a threaded portion configured to extend into the second bone.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the elongate spine is configured to form an angle between the first inner surface and the second inner surface, the angle substantially conforming to a natural bend at a joint between the first bone and the second bone.

11. A plate for securing two discrete bones together across an intermediate joint, comprising:

an elongate spine having:

a first end comprising:

at least one fixation point for attaching the first end to a first discrete bone on a first side of a joint; and

a first inner surface configured to substantially conform with a geometry of the first bone;

a second end comprising:

at least one fixation point for attaching the second end to a second discrete bone on a second side of the joint; and

a second inner surface configured to substantially conform with a geometry of the second bone; and

a bridge portion disposed between the first end and the second end, the bridge portion configured to span across the joint; and

a transfixation screw hole disposed along the spine, the transfixation screw hole comprising an inner surface configured to direct a transfixation screw through the transfixation screw hole such that the transfixation screw extends alongside the bridge portion at a trajectory configured to pass through a first position on the first bone and a second position on the second bone once the plate is placed across the joint, enabling said screw to absorb tensile load when the second bone is loaded permitting transfer of the tensile load through said screw into said bridge, wherein at least a portion of said bridge portion and said transfixation screw hole has a thickness greater than at least a portion of said first and second ends.

12. The plate of claim 11 , wherein:

a central axis of the inner surface of the transfixation screw hole defines the trajectory; and

the trajectory is configured to cross a neutral bending axis of the joint once the plate is placed across the joint.

13. The plate of claim 12 , wherein the first position resides on a compression side of the joint and the second position resides on a tension side of the joint.

14. The plate of claim 11 , wherein the trajectory is configured to pass through the joint at a transfixation angle of about 50 degrees measured from the neutral bending axis.

15. The plate of claim 11 , wherein the plate further includes a compression hole defined by an inner surface in the plate surrounding an oblong opening, the inner surface of the compression hole including, at one end, a horse-shoe-shaped countersink.

16. The plate of claim 11 , further comprising a first flared hip on a first side of the plate and a second flared hip on a second side of the plate, the flared hips comprising two generally parabolic wings extending laterally from the spine and being symmetrically opposed to one another about the transfixation screw hole.

17. The plate of claim 11 , wherein the elongate spine is configured to form an angle between the first inner surface and the second inner surface, the angle substantially conforming to a natural bend at a joint between the first bone and the second bone.