Orthopaedic plate and spreader apparatuses and methods
Orthopaedic plate and spreader apparatuses and methods for distracting and compressing bones and fractured bones in a patient. A first orthopaedic plate and tab assembly has ratcheting teeth on the plate and tab for distracting two bone surfaces to a desire wedge shape. The plate may have longitudinal and diametral curvatures. A second orthopaedic plate and tab assembly has a female plate with ratcheting teeth configured to mate with a male plate with ratcheting teeth for compression and distraction of two bone surfaces. The ratcheting teeth of the first and second orthopaedic plate and tab assemblies may be one way ratcheting teeth or two way ratcheting teeth. Surgical methods for inserting the implants within the patient.
1. An orthopaedic plate system, comprising:
a plate having a proximal end and a distal end with a central portion extending between the proximal end and the distal end, wherein the plate has a first opening between the proximal end and distal end, a first pair of arms at a proximal end, and a second pair of arms at a distal end; and
a tab having a body with a first arm and a second arm, wherein the tab is configured to mate with the first opening of the plate and to be inserted between two bone segments, wherein the tab contacts one of the two bone segments to at least one of create or maintain a space between the two bone segments.
2. The plate system of claim 1 , wherein the first opening is generally rectangular and has a row of teeth on each longitudinal edge of the first opening.
3. The plate system of claim 2 , wherein the first pair of arms have at least one opening for securing the plate to a first bone.
4. The plate system of claim 3 , wherein the at least one opening is threaded.
5. The plate system of claim 3 , wherein the second pair of arms have at least one opening for securing the plate to a second bone.
6. The plate system of claim 2 , wherein the tab has a row of teeth on the first arm and a row of teeth on the second arm.
7. The plate system of claim 6 , wherein the row of teeth on each longitudinal edge of the first opening of the plate are configured to engage the row of teeth on the first arm and the row of teeth on the second arm of the tab.
8. The plate system of claim 7 , wherein the tab has a notch on the first arm, a notch on the second arm, and wherein the notches may be used to compress the first arm and second arm of the tab to disengage the teeth of the tab.
9. The plate system of claim 2 , wherein the central portion has a plurality of markings corresponding to the teeth of the first opening and the tab has at least one marking on the top of the first arm and second arm for aligning with the plurality of markings on the central portion to measure the distance the tab has moved relative to the plate.
10. The plate system of claim 2 , wherein the first opening has a gap in the row of teeth on each side of the longitudinal side of the first opening for insertion of the tab.
11. The plate system of claim 1 , wherein the plate has a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis.
12. The plate system of claim 11 , wherein the plate has a longitudinal curvature along the longitudinal axis.
13. The plate system of claim 12 , wherein the plate has a diametral curvature along the lateral axis.
14. The plate system of claim 13 , wherein the longitudinal curvature corresponds to a long axis of a bone and the diametral curvature corresponds to a diameter of the bone.
15. The plate system of claim 11 , wherein the plate has a diametral curvature along the lateral axis.
16. The plate system of claim 1 , wherein the plate is configured as one of a rectangle and I-shaped.
17. The plate system of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one protrusion on the body of the tab.
18. The plate system of claim 1 , wherein the body of the tab is tapered from the first arm and the second arm to a bottom surface of the body.
19. The plate system of claim 1 , wherein the body of the tab has a slot.
20. The plate system of claim 19 , wherein the slot passes between the first arm and the second arm of the tab and forms an arc at the bottom surface of the tab.
21. The plate system of claim 1 , wherein the plate system has a cavity between the plate and the tab for engagement of a tool.