Bone plate and tracking device using a bone plate for attaching to a patient's anatomy

1. A plate for attaching to an anatomic structure with fasteners, said plate comprising:

a center axis;

a top surface and a bottom surface opposite said top surface;

openings extending through said top surface and said bottom surface with each opening defined about an inclined axis arranged to incline inwardly from said top surface to said bottom surface at an acute angle relative to said center axis with said openings configured to receive the fasteners along said inclined axis; and

three spikes radially spaced about said center axis and configured to penetrate the anatomic structure and, in conjunction with the fasteners, prevent rotational movement of said plate relative to the anatomic structure,

wherein said bottom surface is concave between said spikes and, when said plate is attached to the anatomic structure, said concave bottom surface defines a space configured to accommodate portions of the anatomic structure, and wherein each of said three spikes are positioned on one of a plurality of radial axes extending radially through said center axis with an angle between an adjacent two of said radial axes being 120 degrees.

2. The plate of claim 1 , wherein said top surface and said bottom surface define a generally triangular shape of said plate.

3. The plate of claim 1 , wherein said plate includes side surfaces extending between said top and bottom surfaces, each of said spikes being proximate to an intersection of two of said side surfaces.

4. The plate of claim 1 , wherein each of said spikes are an integral extension of said bottom surface.

5. The plate of claim 4 , wherein said spikes each comprise a sharp tip and a gradual taper to said sharp tip.

6. The plate of claim 5 , wherein said bottom surface extends arcuately along each of said spikes to said sharp tips.

7. The plate of claim 1 , wherein said concave bottom surface has a radius of curvature between five millimeters and fifty millimeters.

8. The plate of claim 1 , wherein said top surface is concave with a radius of curvature between five millimeters and fifty millimeters.

9. The plate of claim 1 , wherein said openings are spaced equidistant from said center axis.

10. The plate of claim 9 , wherein said openings are radially spaced equally about said center axis.

11. The plate of claim 1 , wherein said spikes are radially spaced equally about said center axis.

12. The plate of claim 10 wherein said openings are oriented normal to said top surface and said bottom surface.

13. The plate of claim 2 , wherein said generally triangular shape is substantially an equilateral triangle.

14. The plate of claim 1 , further comprising bone pad surfaces configured to prevent further penetration of said spikes into the anatomic structure when said bone pad surfaces contact the anatomic structure, wherein each of said spikes comprises a base coupled to and extending away from said bone pad surface, and a sharp tip.

15. The plate of claim 14 , wherein said spikes and said bottom surface are separated by said bone pad surfaces configured to prevent said plate from penetrating the anatomic structure.

16. The plate of claim 14 , wherein said bone pad surfaces, when in contact with the anatomic structure, prevent decrease of said space defined by said concave bottom surface between said spikes.

17. The plate of claim 14 , wherein said bone pad surfaces are oriented at an obtuse angle relative to said bottom surface at said bone pad surface.

18. The plate of claim 14 , wherein each of said spikes comprises a substantially pyramidal shape having four inclined surfaces tapering to said sharp tip.

19. The plate of claim 18 , wherein one of said inclined surfaces is integral and continuous with said bottom surface.

20. The plate of claim 18 , wherein three of said four inclined surfaces are adjacent to one of said bone pad surfaces, and wherein a remaining one of said four inclined surfaces is integral and continuous with said bottom surface.

21. The plate of claim 18 , wherein said four inclined surfaces are adjacent to one of said bone pad surfaces.

22. The plate of claim 14 , wherein said spikes each comprise an outer surface, wherein a portion of said outer surface is integral and continuous with said bottom surface, and wherein a remaining portion of said outer surface is adjacent to one of said bone pad surfaces.

23. The plate of claim 14 , wherein said spikes each comprise a tilt axis extending from a center of said base to said sharp tip, wherein said tilt axis is oriented at an acute angle relative to vertical such that said sharp tip is angled inwardly and configured to protect a user during handling of said plate.

24. The plate of claim 14 , wherein said bone pad surfaces are substantially planar.

25. The plate of claim 14 , wherein said bone pad surfaces are configured to be substantially parallel to the anatomic structure when said plate is attached to the anatomic structure.

26. A plate for attaching to an anatomic structure with fasteners, said plate comprising:

a center axis;

a top surface and a bottom surface opposite said top surface;

openings extending through said top surface and said bottom surface and configured to receive the fasteners; and

spikes radially spaced about said center axis and configured to penetrate the anatomic structure and, in conjunction with the fasteners, prevent rotational movement of said plate relative to the anatomic structure,

wherein said bottom surface is concave between said spikes and, when said plate is attached to the anatomic structure, said concave bottom surface defines a space configured to accommodate portions of the anatomic structure, wherein a center of each of said openings and a corresponding one of said spikes are positioned on one of a plurality of radial axes extending radially through said center axis with an angle between an adjacent two of said radial axes being 120 degrees.

27. A plate for attaching to an anatomic structure with fasteners, said plate comprising:

a center axis;

a top surface and a bottom surface opposite said top surface;

openings extending through said top surface and said bottom surface with each opening defined about an inclined axis arranged to incline inwardly from said top surface to said bottom surface at an acute angle relative to said center axis with said openings configured to receive the fasteners along said inclined axis; and

three spikes radially spaced about said center axis and configured to penetrate the anatomic structure and, in conjunction with the fasteners, prevent rotational movement of said plate relative to the anatomic structure; and

a center opening coaxial with said center axis, said center opening configured to receive an additional fastener,

wherein said bottom surface is concave between said spikes and, when said plate is attached to the anatomic structure, said concave bottom surface defines a space configured to accommodate portions of the anatomic structure.

28. The plate of claim 27 , wherein said center opening is configured so that the additional fastener is oriented substantially perpendicular to the anatomic structure.