Bone plate and aiming block

1. A bone-fixation system comprising:

a bone plate having a section with a plurality of holes and a recessed area at least partially surrounding one or more of the holes, the recessed area defining a floor surface situated below a top surface of the plate and a peripheral wall surface arranged at an angle relative to the floor surface, wherein the floor surface extends at least partially between some or all of the plurality of holes; and

an aiming device having a body with a plurality of holes arranged to align with the plurality of holes in the plate and an extension, the extension being receivable within the recessed area and defining a bottom surface adapted to at least partially rest on the floor surface, wherein the extension includes a perimeter surface arranged at an angle relative to its bottom surface, the perimeter surface being sized and shaped to lie closely adjacent to the peripheral surface of the recessed area so that, when the extension is received in the recessed area, the aiming device is substantially non-movable relative to the bone plate in all directions except a removal direction extending away from the floor surface, the extension of the body being offset from a remainder of the body to define a step.

2. The bone-fixation system of claim 1 , wherein when the extension of the aiming device is situated within the recessed area of the plate, each of the plurality of holes of the aiming device is aligned with a corresponding one of the plurality of holes of the plate.

3. The bone-fixation system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of holes of the aiming device is angled so as to direct a fixation member through a corresponding one of the plurality of holes of the plate and into bone at an angle.

4. The bone-fixation system of claim 1 , wherein the bone plate includes a head, and the recessed area occupies a major portion of the head.

5. The bone-fixation system of claim 1 , wherein the aiming device and the bone plate each include at least one hole adapted to receive a K-wire, the at least one hole of the aiming device aligning with the at least one hole of the plate when the aiming device is situated within the recessed area.

6. The bone-fixation system of claim 1 , wherein the floor surface of the recessed area extends between each of the plurality of holes of the plate.

7. The bone-fixation system of claim 1 further comprising an insertion tool having a threaded portion, wherein the aiming device includes at least one threaded hole adapted to engage with the threaded portion of the insertion tool for manipulating the aiming device into engagement with the plate.

8. The bone-fixation system of claim 1 , wherein a first and second of the plurality of holes of the aiming device are arranged so that fixation members inserted into the holes diverge.

9. The bone-fixation system of claim 1 , wherein the peripheral wall surface defines a shape of the recessed area and the perimeter surface defines a shape of the extension, the shape defined by the perimeter surface being substantially the same as the shape defined by the peripheral wall surface.

10. A bone-fixation system comprising:

a bone plate having a section with a plurality of holes and a recessed area at least partially surrounding one or more of the holes, the recessed area defining a floor surface situated below a top surface of the plate, the floor surface extending at least partially between some or all of the plurality of holes;

an aiming device having a body with a plurality of holes arranged to align with the plurality of holes in the plate and an extension, the extension being receivable within the recessed area and defining a bottom surface adapted to at least partially rest on the floor surface; and

an insertion tool including a handle and a shaft, a distal end of the insertion tool being lockingly engageable with the aiming device so that the aiming device and insertion tool are manipulatable as a unit apart from the bone plate to place the aiming device into engagement with the plate.

11. The bone-fixation system of claim 10 , wherein the aiming device includes at least one hole adapted to engage with the distal end of the insertion tool.

12. The bone-fixation system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one hole is threaded, and the distal end of the insertion tool is threaded, such that the threaded end of the insertion tool is engageable with the at least one threaded hole in the aiming device.

13. The bone-fixation system of claim 10 , wherein the insertion tool includes an extension projecting from the shaft and a shoulder, a diameter of the shoulder being greater than a diameter of the extension, the extension being insertable through at least one of the holes of the aiming device and into a hole in the plate so that the shoulder abuts a top surface of the aiming device.

14. The bone-fixation system of claim 13 , wherein the distal end of the insertion tool is engageable with the plate and, once so engaged, the shoulder of the insertion tool contacts the top surface of the aiming device so as to compress the aiming device against the plate.

15. The bone-fixation system of claim 10 , wherein the distal end of the insertion tool is engageable with the plate.

16. The bone-fixation system of claim 10 , wherein the recessed area defines a peripheral wall surface arranged at an angle relative to its floor surface and the extension defines a perimeter surface arranged at an angle relative to its bottom surface, the perimeter surface being sized and shaped to lie closely adjacent the peripheral surface of the recessed area so that, when the extension is received in the recessed area, the aiming device is substantially non-movable relative to the bone plate in all directions except a removal direction extending away from the floor surface, the extension of the body being offset from a remainder of the body to define a step.

17. The bone-fixation system of claim 16 , wherein the peripheral wall surface defines a shape of the recessed area and the perimeter surface defines a shape of the extension, the shape defined by the perimeter surface being substantially the same as the shape defined by the peripheral wall surface.

18. A bone-fixation system comprising:

a bone plate having a section with a plurality of holes and a recessed area at least partially surrounding one or more of the holes, the recessed area defining a floor surface situated below a top surface of the plate, the floor surface extending at least partially between some or all of the plurality of holes; and

an aiming device having a body with a plurality of holes arranged to align with the plurality of holes in the plate and an extension, the extension being receivable within the recessed area and defining a bottom surface adapted to at least partially rest on the floor surface, wherein the recessed area and the extension are sized and shaped such that, when the extension is received in the recessed area, each of the plurality of holes of the aiming device self-aligns with a corresponding one of the plurality of holes of the bone plate, the extension of the body being offset from a remainder of the body to define a step.

19. The bone-fixation system of claim 18 , wherein the recessed area defines a peripheral wall surface arranged at an angle relative to its floor surface and the extension defines a perimeter surface arranged at an angle relative to its bottom surface, the perimeter surface being sized and shaped to lie closely adjacent to the peripheral surface of the recessed area so that, when the extension is received in the recessed area, the aiming device is substantially non-movable relative to the bone plate in all directions except a removal direction extending away from the floor surface.

20. The bone-fixation system of claim 19 , wherein the peripheral wall surface defines a shape of the recessed area and the perimeter surface defines a shape of the extension, the shape defined by the perimeter surface being substantially the same as the shape defined by the peripheral wall surface.

21. The bone-fixation system of claim 18 , wherein at least one of the plurality of holes of the aiming device is angled so as to direct a fixation member through a corresponding one of the plurality of holes of the plate and into bone at an angle.

22. The bone-fixation system of claim 18 further comprising an insertion tool having an engagement portion, wherein the aiming device includes at least one hole with an engagement portion adapted to lockingly interact with the engagement portion of the insertion tool so that the insertion tool and aiming device are manipulatable as a unit.