Anatomically-fitted tarsometatarsal bone plate
A bone plate can be used to fixate one or more bones. In some examples, a bone plate has first, second, third, and fourth fixation holes. The first and second fixation holes may be located in a distal body region of the bone plate and co-linear with a bridge central longitudinal axis. The third and fourth fixation holes may be located in a proximal body region of the bone plate, with the third fixation hole co-linear with the bridge central longitudinal axis and the fourth fixation hole offset from the bridge central longitudinal axis in a first plane by a first angle and in a second plane by a second angle.
1 . A method of fixating a tarsometatarsal joint, the method comprising:
positioning a bone plate over a portion of a metatarsal and over a portion of a cuneiform and across a tarsometatarsal joint separating the metatarsal from the cuneiform, wherein positioning the bone plate comprises positioning a first fixation hole and a second fixation hole over a dorsal side of the metatarsal and positioning a third fixation hole and a fourth fixation hole over a dorsal side the cuneiform with a bridge separating the second fixation hole from the third fixation hole extending across a dorsal side the tarsometatarsal joint, wherein the first, second, and third fixation holes are arranged co-linearly with a bridge central longitudinal axis defined by the bridge and the fourth fixation hole is offset from the bridge central longitudinal axis in a first plane by a first plane angle and in a second plane by a second plane angle such that the fourth fixation hole is positioned at the dorsal side of the cuneiform; and
inserting a fixation screw through each of the first fixation hole and the second fixation hole into the underlying metatarsal and through each of the third fixation hole and the fourth fixation hole into the underlying cuneiform.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
securing a second plate distal body region of a second bone plate at the metatarsal via at least one of a second plate first fixation hole and a second plate second fixation hole that are defined at the second plate distal body region; and
securing a second plate proximal body region of the second bone plate at the cuneiform via at least one of a second plate third fixation hole and a second plate fourth fixation hole that are defined at the second plate proximal body region,
wherein the second plate is a mirror image of the first plate.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein:
the metatarsal is a first metatarsal and the cuneiform is a medial cuneiform;
the laterally-adjacent metatarsal is a second metatarsal and the laterally-adjacent cuneiform is an intermediate cuneiform;
the first bone plate is secured at the dorsal side of the first metatarsal, the dorsal side of the medial cuneiform, and across the dorsal side of a tarsometatarsal joint between the first metatarsal and the medial cuneiform; and
the first bone plate is secured so as to wrap plantarly downward from the dorsal side of the medial cuneiform to deviate the fourth fixation hole away from an intermetatarsal joint space between the first metatarsal and second metatarsal and/or an intercuneiform joint space between the medial cuneiform and the intermediate cuneiform.
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the second bone plate is secured at a medial side of the first metatarsal, a medial side of the intermediate cuneiform, and across a medial side of the tarsometatarsal joint between the first metatarsal and the medial cuneiform, and wherein the second bone plate is secured so as to wrap dorsally upward from the medial side of the medial cuneiform.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the second fixation hole is positioned closer to the bridge than the first fixation hole, and the third fixation hole is positioned closer to the bridge than the fourth fixation hole,
a first fixation screw is inserted through the second fixation hole and a second fixation screw is inserted through the third fixation hole, and
after the first fixation screw is inserted through the second fixation hole and the second fixation screw is inserted through the third fixation hole, a third fixation screw is inserted through the first fixation hole and a fourth fixation screw is inserted through the fourth fixation hole.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the second fixation hole is positioned closer to the bridge than the first fixation hole, and the third fixation hole is positioned closer to the bridge than the fourth fixation hole, a first fixation screw is inserted through the first fixation hole and a second fixation screw is inserted through the fourth fixation hole, and
after the first fixation screw is inserted through the first fixation hole and the second fixation screw is inserted through the fourth fixation hole, a third fixation screw is inserted through the second fixation hole and a fourth fixation screw is inserted through the third fixation hole.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the bone plate comprises a proximal body region, a distal body region, and the bridge extending between the proximal body region and the distal body region;
the body has a width defining an extent of the bone plate transverse to the bridge central longitudinal axis, and includes a top surface and a bone facing surface opposite the top surface;
the first fixation hole and the second fixation hole are located in the distal body region; and
the third fixation hole and the fourth fixation hole are located in the proximal body region, and the third fixation hole is positioned closer to the bridge than the fourth fixation hole.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein
the second fixation hole is positioned closer to the bridge than the first fixation hole, the bridge defines a length extending from an edge of the second fixation hole to an edge of the third fixation hole, and the length of the bridge has a midline halfway between the edge of the second fixation hole and the edge of the third fixation hole; and
a body of the bone plate defines a proximal length extending from the midline of the bridge to a proximal edge of the bone plate, and the proximal length is less than 19 mm.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the body defines a distal length extending from the midline of the bridge to a distal edge of the bone plate, and a ratio of the distal length divided by the proximal length is greater than 1.0.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein:
the body defines an overall length from the proximal edge to the distal edge ranging from 30-40 mm;
the length of the bridge ranges from 9.0 mm to 15.0 mm;
the proximal length ranges from 17-18.5 mm; and
the distal length ranges from 15-18 mm.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a geometric center of the fourth fixation hole is offset from the bridge central longitudinal axis in the first plane a distance ranging from 1-4 mm.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the geometric center of the fourth fixation hole is offset from the bridge central longitudinal axis in the second plane at an angle ranging from 5° to 40°, and wherein the geometric center of the fourth fixation hole is offset from the bridge central longitudinal axis in the second plane so as to configure the fourth fixation hole to receive the fixation screw therethrough and maintain the fixation screw in a substantially parallel orientation relative to at least one other fixation screw received at the bone plate.
13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first plane is a transverse plane and the second plane is a frontal plane.
14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the bridge defines a length extending from an edge of the second fixation hole to an edge of the third fixation hole;
a distance between the first fixation hole and the second fixation hole defines a first intra-hole spacing; and
a ratio of the first intra-hole spacing to the length of the bridge is at least 0.78.
15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein:
a distance between the third fixation hole and the fourth fixation hole defines a second intra-hole spacing; and
a ratio of the second intra-hole spacing to the length of the bridge is at least 0.78.
16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a width of a body of the bone plate is greater at locations of the body defining each of the first fixation hole, second fixation hole, third fixation hole, and fourth fixation hole than at the bridge, and wherein the width of the body is less at locations longitudinally between the first fixation hole, second fixation hole, third fixation hole, and fourth fixation hole than at locations of the body defining the first fixation hole, second fixation hole, third fixation hole, and fourth fixation hole.
17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first, second, third, and fourth fixation holes are the only fixation holes provided by the bone plate.
18 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the fourth fixation hole is positioned at the dorsal side of the cuneiform so as to deviate away from a joint space between the cuneiform and a laterally-adjacent metatarsal and/or laterally-adjacent cuneiform.
19 . A method of fixating a tarsometatarsal joint, the method comprising:
positioning a bone plate over a portion of a metatarsal and over a portion of a cuneiform and across a tarsometatarsal joint separating the metatarsal from the cuneiform, wherein positioning the bone plate comprises positioning a first fixation hole and a second fixation hole over the metatarsal and positioning a third fixation hole and a fourth fixation hole over the cuneiform with a bridge separating the second fixation hole from the third fixation hole extending across the tarsometatarsal joint, wherein the first, second, and third fixation holes are arranged co-linearly with a bridge central longitudinal axis defined by the bridge and the fourth fixation hole is offset from the bridge central longitudinal axis in a first plane by a first plane angle and in a second plane by a second plane angle; and
inserting a fixation screw through each of the first fixation hole and the second fixation hole into the underlying metatarsal and through each of the third fixation hole and the fourth fixation hole into the underlying cuneiform,
wherein the bone plate comprises a proximal body region, a distal body region, and the bridge extending between the proximal body region and the distal body region,
wherein the body has a width defining an extent of the bone plate transverse to the bridge central longitudinal axis, and includes a top surface and a bone facing surface opposite the top surface,
wherein the first fixation hole and the second fixation hole are located in the distal body region, the third fixation hole and the fourth fixation hole are located in the proximal body region, and the third fixation hole is positioned closer to the bridge than the fourth fixation hole,
wherein the second fixation hole is positioned closer to the bridge than the first fixation hole, the bridge defines a length extending from an edge of the second fixation hole to an edge of the third fixation hole, and the length of the bridge has a midline halfway between the edge of the second fixation hole and the edge of the third fixation hole, and
wherein a body of the bone plate defines a proximal length extending from the midline of the bridge to a proximal edge of the bone plate, and the proximal length is less than 19 mm.
20 . A method of fixating a tarsometatarsal joint, the method comprising:
positioning a bone plate over a portion of a metatarsal and over a portion of a cuneiform and across a tarsometatarsal joint separating the metatarsal from the cuneiform, wherein positioning the bone plate comprises positioning a first fixation hole and a second fixation hole over the metatarsal and positioning a third fixation hole and a fourth fixation hole over the cuneiform with a bridge separating the second fixation hole from the third fixation hole extending across the tarsometatarsal joint, wherein the first, second, and third fixation holes are arranged co-linearly with a bridge central longitudinal axis defined by the bridge and the fourth fixation hole is offset from the bridge central longitudinal axis in a first plane by a first plane angle and in a second plane by a second plane angle; and
inserting a fixation screw through each of the first fixation hole and the second fixation hole into the underlying metatarsal and through each of the third fixation hole and the fourth fixation hole into the underlying cuneiform,
wherein the bridge defines a length extending from an edge of the second fixation hole to an edge of the third fixation hole, a distance between the first fixation hole and the second fixation hole defines a first intra-hole spacing, and a ratio of the first intra-hole spacing to the length of the bridge is at least 0.78.