GB2422783A

GB2422783A - Internal fixation plate

Info

Publication number: GB2422783A
Application number: GB0502086A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Dr Ahmad Fahmi Juanroyee
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-02-02
Filing date: 2005-02-02
Publication date: 2006-08-09
Anticipated expiration: 2025-02-02
Also published as: GB2422783B; GB0502086D0

Abstract

An internal fixation device for comminuted fractures is formed from an elongate plate 2 which has at least one edge that is specially shaped to receive a complementarily shaped portion of at least one further plate 1. In one embodiment, the device comprises a main plate 2 which has a C-shaped channel 6 running along one side face, and a slot 6A formed on the upper surface which runs parallel to and opens into the C-shaped channel 6. In a second embodiment, the side face has a stepped profile 8 and is provided with a number of screw holes 7. At least one smaller satellite plate 1 can be coupled to the main plate. The satellite plate 1 either has a specially shaped arm 3,3A that is received and locked within the C-shaped channel 6, or an arm 3B with a stepped profile to engage and be secured to the stepped face 8 of the main plate. The satellite plate 1 is secured and locked in place by screws.

Description

Expandable Plate This invention relates to help internally fix fractured

bones. It is particularly useful in long bones that are comminuted which mean they are broken into too many pieces.

Any plate that has been made to this moment has 2 surfaces one is in direct contact with the bone (floor) and the other is on the opposite side (roof) and 2 longitudinal sides and 2 transverse sides (the ends of the plate).

Such surgical operations, the surgeon may have difficulty fixing more than the two main parts of the fractured bone by one plate. He may not be able to fix other bony fragments to the plate due to either their position or size. Therefore, very frequently they have to insert what is known as lag screw to hold the smaller fragments to the main repaired bone. Those lag screws are not connected to the plate and therefore may have no enough strength to hold the smaller fragment to the repaired bone especially when the repaired bone undergoes stress. Subsequently the lag screw may dislodge or break and the fragment will separate from the repaired site.

An object of the invention is to connect the main plate (the expandable plate which is already fixed by screws to the 2 main broken fragments of a long bone of the body) to a smaller plate(s)-satellite plate(s) by which the smaller bony fragments can be hold through those satellite plate to the main plate and subsequently provide more solid fixation and buttressing of the smaller bony fragments to the main repair site.

Accordingly this invention provides a good help to the surgeon and comprises an expandable plate including a main plate and a smaller satellite plate(s) with a bendable extension [or a bendable arm(s)] connected to a rod [ball(s) or Z-like shaped end] to engage the main plate.

And the main plate has a primary smooth slot on one or both sides of it [or depression on one or both sides of the roof of the main plate] running along its entire length and the bottom of the primary slot can be of any shape mainly cylindrical (the cylinder runs along the entire length of the side of the main plate along with the primary slot) and should be wider than primary slot along its entire length and the primary slot is slightly wider than the thickness of the extension [or the arm] of the satellite plate(s). Then on the roof of the primary slot there is a secondary slot, which can be, both smooth or serrated (dented) slot and it is shorter than the primary slot and do not reach the ends of the main plate. Then the satellite plate(s), which is smaller in size than the main plate and thinner with fewer holes in it, has an extension [or an arm(s)] on only one side of it. Then the other side of this extension [or arm(s)] that is not connected to the secondary plate but instead is connected to a rod [or a ball respectively] on the entire length of the extension [or arm(s) tip]. Then the rod [or the ball] is thicker than the extension [or arm] of the satellite plate and the narrow opening of the primary slot and slightly thinner than the diameter of the cylindrical bottom of the primary slot itself so that the rod [or the ball(s)] of the satellite plate once inserted through the end of the bottom of the primary slot of the main plate will not be able to slip out of the primary slot on the side but only can move in the same axis of the direction of its entry which is the longitudinal axis of the main plate.

Then the rod [or ball(s)] on the roof of it has diced screw hole(s) so that it can accept a locking screw(s) with a square serrated washer that is inserted into it through the secondary slot vertical to the axis of the plate and in turn the locking screw(s) with the serrated square washer when tightened will fix the rod [or ball(s)] to the main plate and thus the satellite plate will be firmly fixed to the main plate. The main plate that has a depression on the side of the roof of it [not a slot] should be of a depth that can accommodate the end of a Z-like shaped extension (the end of the Z-like shaped extension has non-diced screw holes in it) of a satellite plate that has the same thickness as the depression of the main plate and the depression of the main plate has also numerous small diced screw holes so that the satellite plate can be connected to the main plate by locking it with the locking screws that passes through the non-diced holes on the Z-like shaped end of the satellite plate to the diced screw holes on the depression of the main plate.

The expandable plate (all of its parts) can be made of either metal or carbon fibres and the main plate should have the standard size while the satellite plate(s) is smaller in size, thinner and with fewer screw holes.

And the extension of the satellite plate can have one side of it shorter than the other so that the satellite plate can be in an angle to the longitudinal axis of the main plate. And the same thing can be done for the satellite plate with arms and one arm can be shorter than the other arm of the same satellite plate to give the satellite plate an angle to the longitudinal axis of the main plate when inserted through the cylinder of the primary hole.

And the extension [or arm(s)] of the satellite plate can be bended by a bender and thus the satellite plate will be in an angle to the transverse axis of the main plate so that the whole expandable plate can fill the contour of the bone and also the satellite plate directly touch the surface of the smaller bony fragments needed to be fixed to the main bony fragments.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a main plate (slotted type) with 2 satellite plates of different styles inserted into it from above; Figure 2 shows a main plate (slotted) with its satellite plate from the side; Figure 3 shows a main plate (depressed type) from above and transverse section with a Z-Iike shaped extension satellite plate; Figure 4 shows a rod satellite plate from above and side; Figure 5 shows a main plate (slotted type) from side with a ball satellite plate; Figure 6 shows a ball satellite plate.

As shown in figure 1 the expandable plate comprises a metal main plate 2 having multiple holes for screw(s) to be fixed to the underlying bone 5 and on the side of the main plate 2 there are primary smooth slots 6 that has cylindrical bottom 11 (see figure 2) that allows the passage of rod 4 or ball 4A of the satellite plate I (see figure 2. figure 4, figure 5 and figure 6).

And 6A is the secondary slot on the roof of the primary slot which can be either smooth or serrated and allow passing the locking metal screw 9 and a serrated square metal washer 10.

The satellite metal plate 1 has fewer holes for the screws to be fixed to the underlying bone 5 and the satellite plate 1 is connected to a metal extension 3 or metal arm(s) 3A or can be a Z-like shaped extension 3B and the extension 3 to have a metal rod 4 connected to it along its side and the rod 4 has multiple diced holes for locking screws 7 and these holes for locking screws 7 is directly under the secondary slot 6A. And the satellite plate I with arm(s) 3A the arm(s) 3A are connected to a ball 4A and the ball 4A has a diced hole for the locking screw 7 and this hole for the locking screw 7 is directly under the secondary slot 6A.

Figure 3 shows a metal main plate 2 with holes for screws to the bone 5 and on the side of the roof of the main plate 2 is a depression(s) 8 along the entire length of the main plate 2 and this depression 8 has numerous diced holes for locking screws 12 and the depression 8 accommodates a Z-like shaped extension 3B from the satellite plate 1 and the Z-like extension 3B has non-diced screw holes.

Claims

Claims 1. An Expandable plate comprising a metal main plate with numerous

holes and has a primary smooth slot on its entire length of the side which leads to a cylindrical bottom on its entire length, a secondary smooth or serrated slot is running on the roof of the primary slot and not reaches the ends of the primary slot, or the side of the surface of the main plate has a depression along the entire length of the main plate and the depression has numerous diced screw holes.
2. An Expandable plate as claimed in claim 1 has a satellite plate with fewer holes and has an extension or arm and mounted on top of them a rod or a ball respectively, and the rod or the ball has diced screw holes.
3. An Expandable plate as claimed in claim 1 in which the main plate has a depression on the side of its surface, its satellite plate is connected to a Z-like shaped extension to sit on the depression and the end of the depression has non diced screw holes.

4. An expandable plate as claimed in claim 1 the rod or the ball of the satellite plate is to pass through the cylindrical bottom of the primary slot of the main plate.

5. An Expandable plate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.
4. A PPCS substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.

4 Amendments to the Claims have been filed as follows Claims Plate To Plate Connection System 1. A Plate To Plate Connection System (PPCS) comprising: a metal main plate with a number of holes allowing attachment of the plate to a fractured bone; either a C-shaped channel running along the edge of the plate and having a slot on the upper surface of the plate which runs parallel to and opens into the C-shaped channel, or a stepped formation along the length of the edge; at least one smaller satellite plate with a number of holes allowing attachment of the plate to bone fragments; a bendable extension arm formed on each satellite plate, the end of each arm being either specially shaped to be received within the Cshaped channel, or specially shaped to engage the stepped edge; and screws for releasably fixing the formation of each arm at one or more locations along the C-shaped channel or stepped edge.

-I

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 2. A PPCS as claimed in claim 1, wherein the end of the extension arm has a rod or ball, and the rod or ball has diced screw holes and the rod or ball of the satellite plate is to pass through the C-shaped channel of the main plate.

3. A PPCS as claimed in claim 1, wherein the end of the extension arm has a Z-shaped extension to sit on the stepped edge of the main plate and the end of the extension has non diced screw holes.