| CPC A61B 17/8052 (2013.01) [A61B 17/8014 (2013.01); A61B 17/8605 (2013.01); A61B 17/8635 (2013.01); A61B 17/1728 (2013.01); A61B 17/8033 (2013.01); A61B 17/8047 (2013.01); A61B 17/8057 (2013.01); A61B 17/808 (2013.01)] | 15 Claims |

|
1. A bone fixation system comprising:
a plate; and
a tool;
wherein: (a) the plate includes an aperture configured to receive a bone anchor, (b) the aperture includes a long axis that traverses the aperture but does not intersect the plate, (c) the aperture includes a first opening and a second opening, (d) the aperture includes a plate projection and the plate projection projects inwardly from a wall of the aperture and towards the long axis, (e) the plate projection has a first surface and a second surface, and (f) the plate projection includes at least a first, second, and third plate reliefs along its perimeter;
wherein: (a) the tool includes a post having proximal and distal ends, (b) the distal end includes at least a first, second, and third tool projections, (c) a number of tool projections is not greater than a number of plate reliefs, (d) each tool projection is configured to mate with one of the plate reliefs; and (e) first and slope surfaces, wherein the first sloped surface directly connects to the first tool projection and the second sloped surface directly connects to the second tool projection;
wherein the first sloped surface forms a first ramp that thickens as the first slope surfaces advances away from the distal end of the tool and towards the proximal end of the tool;
wherein the third tool projection is proximal to the first tool projection; and
wherein the tool includes a void that is between a distal edge of the third tool projection and a proximal edge of the first tool projection;
the plate projection has a plate projection thickness between the first and second surfaces of the plate projection, the plate projection thickness measured parallel to the long axis of the aperture;
the void has a thickness measured parallel to a long axis of the tool and from the distal edge of the third tool projection to the proximal edge of the first tool projection; and the void thickness is less than the plate projection thickness.
|