Plate for temporarily bridging fragments of a fracture

Abstract

The invention relates to a plate (10) for temporarily bridging fragments of a fracture having a proximal portion (11), a distal portion (12), and an intermediate portion (13) disposed between the proximal portion (11) and the distal portion (12). The proximal portion (11) has a proximal attachment zone (14) adapted to be applied and attached to a first tubular bone (1). The distal portion (12) has a distal attachment zone (15) adapted to be applied and attached to a second tubular bone (2). The intermediate portion (13) is adapted to bridge a joint (3) between the first tubular bone (1) and the second tubular bone (2) and thereby at least one further bone, in particular without attachment to the at least one further bone. The plate (10) has at least one curved region (16, 17) between the proximal attachment zone (14) and the distal attachment zone (15). Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for treating a complex joint fracture, in which in particular such a plate can be used.

Claims

1. A plate for temporarily bridging fragments of a fracture comprising a proximal portion, a distal portion and an intermediate portion disposed between the proximal portion and the distal portion, wherein the proximal portion having an elongate and substantially straight proximal attachment zone adapted to be applied to and secured to a first tubular bone said distal portion having an elongate and substantially straight distal attachment zone adapted to be applied and secured to a second tubular bone, and the intermediate portion is adapted to bridge a joint between the first tubular bone and the second tubular bone, and wherein the intermediate portion is further configured to bridge at least one further bone positioned between, and different from, the first tubular bone and second tubular bone, the intermediate portion not being attachable to the at least one further bone, wherein the plate has a first curved region between the proximal attachment zone and the distal attachment zone, wherein the first curved region is curved as seen in plan view, the intermediate portion, the proximal portion, and the distal portion defining a longitudinal axis of the plate, wherein the first curved region has a first change of direction and a second change of direction in plan view, the second change of direction being at a distance from the first change of direction along the longitudinal axis, both the first and second change of direction being by an angle between 10 and 60, the second change of direction being in a direction opposite the first change of direction.

2. The plate according to claim 1, wherein the proximal attachment zone is adapted to be applied and attached to a radius and the distal attachment zone is adapted to be applied and attached to a metacarpal bone.

3. The plate according to claim 1, wherein the proximal attachment zone is adapted to be attached to a tibia and the distal attachment zone is adapted to be attached to a metatarsal.

4. The plate according to claim 1, wherein the curvature of the first curved region is designed in such a way that irritations of soft tissues are excluded or at least minimized.

5. The plate according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of a curvature of the first curved region having an inner radius of 15 mm to 22 mm, a curvature of the first curved region resulting in at least a first change of direction by an angular amount of 10 to 60, and a curvature of the first curved region resulting in a lateral offset which is at least 3 mm.

6. The plate according to claim 5, having a second change of direction in the first curved region, wherein a location of the second change of direction of the first curved region has a distance between 110 mm to 130 mm from a proximal end of the plate.

7. The plate according to claim 6, wherein the location of the second change of direction of the first curved region is configured to be arranged at a distance between 10 mm and 12 mm from a distal end of the first tubular bone.

8. The plate according to claim 1, wherein the first curved region is positionable at the distal end of the first tubular bone.

9. The plate according to claim 1, wherein a second curved region is curved in side view, preferably Z-shaped or U-shaped.

10. The plate according to claim 9, wherein a curvature of the second curved region is such that the second curved region is slidable under the soft tissues of the joint.

11. The plate according to claim 9, further comprising at least one of: a curvature of the second curved region having at least one change of direction with an inner radius of 12 mm to 18 mm, a curvature of the second curved region having at least a first change in direction by an angular amount of from 10 to 60, and a curvature of the second curved region resulting in a vertical offset which is at least 3 mm.

12. The plate according to claim 11, having a second change of direction of the second curved region, wherein a location of the second change of direction of the second curved region has at least one of the following: a distance of between 50 mm to 70 mm from a distal end of the plate, or is adapted to be arranged at a distance between 10 mm to 12 mm from a proximal end of the second tubular bone.

13. The plate according to claim 9, wherein the second curved region is arranged in the intermediate portion.

14. The plate according to claim 9, wherein the second curved region does not contain through holes.

15. The plate according to claim 1, having at least one of a screw hole, an oblong hole, and a K-wire hole arranged in at least one of the proximal attachment zone, the first curved region, the second curved region, and the distal attachment zone.

16. The plate according to claim 1, wherein a longitudinal axis of the proximal portion encloses an angle of +45 to 45 with a longitudinal axis of the distal portion in at least one of a plan view and a lateral view.

17. The plate according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of a thickness of the plate in the proximal portion becoming smaller towards a proximal end, and a thickness of the plate in the distal portion becoming smaller towards a distal end.

18. The plate according to claim 1, wherein the first curved region comprises at least one through hole.

Description

(1) They show

(2) FIG. 1 a plate in plan view;

(3) FIG. 2 a plate in lateral view.

(4) FIG. 1 shows a plate 10 for temporary bridging of fragments of a wrist fracture in plan view. The plate 10 has a proximal portion 11, a distal portion 12, and an intermediate portion 13 located between the proximal portion 11 and the distal portion 12.

(5) The proximal portion 11 has a proximal attachment zone 14 configured to be applied to and attached to a first tubular bone 1, in this case a radius.

(6) The distal portion 12 has a distal attachment zone 15 adapted to be applied to and secured to a second tubular bone 2, in this case a middle finger bone.

(7) The intermediate portion 13 bridges the wrist 3 between the radius 1 and the middle finger bone 2 and overlies the carpal bones.

(8) The intermediate portion 13 is not attached to the carpal bones.

(9) The plate 10 has a first curved region 16 between the proximal attachment zone 14 and the distal attachment zone 15, which is curved in a U-shape. The first curved region 16 is positioned at the distal end of the radius 1.

(10) The plate 10 is therefore configured to prevent entrapment of extensor or flexor tendons (not shown here).

(11) The curvature of the first curved region 16 has a location 18 of the second change of direction with an inner radius R.sub.i1 of 15 mm to 22 mm, in particular of 19 mm.

(12) The lateral offset V1 corresponds approximately to the average width of the plate and is about 10 mm.

(13) The location 18 of the second change of direction with the greatest lateral deflection with the offset V1 can have a distance A1 of between 110 mm to 130 mm, preferably of 120 mm from the proximal end 19 of the plate 10.

(14) The location 18 with the largest lateral deflection is preferably located at a distance D1 between 10 mm to 12 mm, preferably of 11 mm from the distal end of the radius 1.

(15) Screw holes 22 are provided in the proximal attachment zone 14, in the first curved region 16 and in the distal attachment zone 15. An oblong hole 23 is also provided in each of the proximal attachment zone 14 and the distal attachment zone 15. In addition, a K-wire hole 24 is located in the first curved region 16.

(16) FIG. 2 shows the plate 10 in lateral view.

(17) The plate 10 has a second curved region 17 between the proximal attachment zone 14 and the distal attachment zone 15, which is curved in a U-shape in side view.

(18) The second curved region 17 can be slid under the soft tissues of the joint not shown in the figure.

(19) The location 20 of the second change in direction of the second curved region 17, where typically the greatest vertical deflection with an offset V2 is present, may have an inner radius R.sub.i2 of from 12 mm to 18 mm, particularly 12 mm. The vertical offset V2 is approximately 3 mm.

(20) The location 20 with the largest vertical deflection may have a distance A2 of between 50 mm to 70 mm, preferably of 61 mm, from the distal end 21 of the plate 10.

(21) The location 20 of the second change in direction of the second curved region 17 may be located at a distance D2 between 10 mm to 12 mm, preferably of 11 mm, from the proximal end 25 of the middle phalanx.

(22) The longitudinal axis 26 of the proximal portion 11 makes an angle of about 12 with a longitudinal axis 27 of the distal portion 12 in lateral view.

(23) The thickness of the plate 10 decreases toward the ends 19, 21 of the plate.

(24) TABLE-US-00001 Hand large Hand medium Hand small Length (mm) 230 200 170 Width (mm) 12 10 8 Thickness (mm) 5 3.5 2 D.sub.1 (mm) 13 11 9 A.sub.1 (mm) 105 120 135 D.sub.2 (mm) 12 11 10 A.sub.2 (mm) 60 55 45 R.sub.i1 (mm) 25 19 5 R.sub.i2 (mm) 20 12 2 () 12 12 12 V.sub.1 (mm) 8 5 3 V.sub.2 (mm) 7 5 3