SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SECURING A BONE PLATE

1 . A drill guide comprising:

an outer body defining a main bore, the outer body comprising a tip extending from the body, wherein the tip is coaxial with the main bore and comprises a plurality of deflectable leaves; and

an inner sleeve defining a receiving bore, wherein the inner sleeve is adapted to be removably received within the main bore.

2 . The drill guide of claim 1 , wherein the inner sleeve deflects the plurality of deflectable leaves when inserted into the sleeve.

3 . The drill guide of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of leaves comprises a set of threads.

4 . The drill guide of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of leaves are tapered toward an axis of the main bore.

5 . The drill guide of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of leaves comprise an alignment element, wherein the alignment element is adapted to mate with a mating element of a hole defined by a bone plate.

6 . The drill guide of claim 5 , wherein the receiving bore comprises a bore axis, and wherein engagement of the alignment element and the mating element aligns the bore axis with a hole trajectory axis of the hole defined by the bone plate.

7 . The grill guide of claim 5 , wherein the alignment element and the mating element comprise mating threaded contours.

8 . A bone plate mounting system comprising:

a bone plate defining at least one threaded opening, wherein the at least one threaded opening comprises an opening trajectory axis; and

a drill guide, wherein the drill guide comprises an outer body defining a bore comprising a bore axis, and wherein the outer body comprises a tip extending from the body, and wherein the tip is coaxial with the bore axis and comprises a plurality of deflectable leaves, and wherein the leaves comprise a threaded surface adapted to mate with the at least one threaded opening when the leaves are deflected away from the bore axis.

9 . The bone plate mounting system of claim 8 , wherein the drill guide further comprises an inner sleeve defining a receiving bore, wherein the inner sleeve is adapted to be removably received within the bore.

10 . The bone plate mounting system of claim 9 , wherein when the inner sleeve is received within the bore, the inner sleeve deflects the leaves away from the bore axis.

11 . The bone plate mounting system of claim 9 , wherein when the inner sleeve is received within the bore, the receiving bore is coaxial with the bore axis.

12 . The bone plate mounting system of claim 10 , wherein the leaves are tapered towards the bore axis.

13 . The bone plate mounting system of claim 10 , wherein the leaves are biased towards the bore axis when the inner sleeve is received within the bore.

14 . The bone plate mounting system of claim 9 , wherein the inner sleeve comprises a lock for securing the inner sleeve to the outer body.

15 . A method of mounting a bone plate to a bone, the method comprising:

placing a bone plate proximate a bone, wherein the bone plate defines a first opening comprising a first alignment element and a first opening trajectory axis;

inserting a tip of a drill guide into the first opening, wherein the tip of the drill guide comprises a tip alignment structure; and

expanding the tip such that the tip alignment structure mates with the first alignment element.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the tip comprises a tip axis, wherein when the tip alignment structure mates with the first alignment element, the tip axis is coaxial with the first opening trajectory axis.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the expanding operation comprises inserting an inner sleeve into a bore defined by the drill guide.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the first alignment element and the tip alignment structure comprise mating threaded surfaces.

19 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

removing the tip from the first opening;

inserting the tip into a second opening defined by the plate, wherein the second opening comprises a second alignment element and a second opening trajectory axis disposed skew to the first opening trajectory axis; and

expanding the tip such that the tip alignment structure mates with the second alignment element.

20 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising inserting a drill bit through a bore in the inner sleeve.