BONE PLATE SYSTEM FOR FRACTURE FIXATION

摘要

A bone plate system for fracture fixation is disclosed. More particularly, the bone plate system is adapted for the internal fixation of a fractured long bone. A metal plate defines an arrangement of a plurality of holes, and includes first-type drill guides, each unitarily formed for handling as a single element, and second-type drill guides of unitarily formed structure. The second-type drill guide is removably preassembled into at least one threaded hole located adjacent to a first end of the plate, and both the first-type and second-type of drill guides are preassembled independently and directly to the plate at the same time. The second-type drill guide has a sufficiently low profile to allow insertion of the first end of the plate under retracted tissue while the second-type drill guide is preassembled within the one of the threaded holes located adjacent the first end of the plate.