CPC A61B 17/8014 (2013.01) [A61B 17/8057 (2013.01)] | 13 Claims |
1. A bone plate comprising:
a shaft portion including a central longitudinal axis, an upper surface, a bottom surface, and a plurality of bone fixation openings extending between the upper and bottom surfaces, each of the plurality of bone fixation openings being arranged and configured to receive a bone fixation device for coupling the bone plate to a patient's bone; and
a length adjusting elongate hole formed in the shaft portion, the length adjusting elongate hole including a central longitudinal axis, the length adjusting elongate hole arranged and configured to enable a length of the patient's bone to be adjusted without requiring the bone plate to be completely decoupled from the patient's bone;
wherein the central longitudinal axis of the length adjusting elongate hole is aligned with the central longitudinal axis of the shaft portion, the length adjusting elongate hole extending between adjacent bone fixation openings formed in the shaft portion of the bone plate so that the length adjusting elongate hole is in communication with the adjacent bone fixation openings;
wherein the adjacent bone fixation openings are a first locking screw opening and a second locking screw opening;
wherein the first and second locking screw openings each comprise, respectively, a central longitudinal axis;
wherein the central longitudinal axis of the first locking screw opening and the central longitudinal axis of the second locking screw opening both extend parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the shaft portion; and
wherein the central longitudinal axis of the first locking screw openings is positioned on an opposite side of the central longitudinal axis of the shaft portion from the central longitudinal axis of the second locking screw opening.
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