Apparatus and methods for bone fracture fixation

摘要

Apparatus and methods to facilitate fixation of a fracture are disclosed. These apparatus include a bone plate for the fixation of a fractured bone having a plurality of fastener openings so that the bone plate may be secured by a plurality of fasteners across a reduced fracture to fixate a reduced fracture. The bone plate is configured to flex in situ to conform to the surface of the bone while providing sufficient stiffness in the plane of the device to resist forces and moments in the plane. Methods of use of the present invention include fastening the bone plate to a first side of the fracture, flexing portions of the bone plate to bias against the bone surface on the second side of the fracture, fastening the portions of the bone plate so biased to the second side of the fracture, thereby fixating the fracture by fastening the bone plate to the second side of the fracture.