Bone Plate

Abstract

A bone plate has an upper surface, a lower surface, and at least one first hole extending through the upper and lower surfaces. The first hole has two or three vertically separate regions, each region communicating with or abutting the adjacent region. The first hole has a first upper region, which is unthreaded and which, from the plate's upper surface to the plate's lower surface, has a curved inward taper. The first hole has a second middle region, which is threaded and which, from the plate's upper surface to the plate's lower surface, has a conical inward taper. The first hole has a third lower region, which is unthreaded and which, from the plate's upper surface to the plate's lower surface, has a conical outward taper. The bone plate is straight, curved, or both straight and curved. The bone plate may have at least one second hole, different from the first hole. The second hole is an elongated hole, which has a compression ramp or which has a threaded portion through part of its perimeter and a non-threaded portion through the other part of its perimeter.

1 - 81 . (canceled) 
     
     
         82 . A bone plate, comprising:
 a plate body having an upper surface and a lower surface, the plate body including a first hole extending therethrough from the upper surface to the lower surface, the hole including three regions separated from one another along a length of the first hole, the first and third regions of the first hole being non-threaded, and a second middle region of the hole between the first and third regions including threading, wherein the first region has, in a direction from the upper surface to the lower surface, an inward taper that is present around an axis of the hole.   
     
     
         83 . The bone plate of  claim 82 , wherein the first region and the second region are in communication with one another. 
     
     
         84 . The bone plate of  claim 83 , wherein a point of the first region nearest the lower surface abuts a point of the second region nearest the upper surface. 
     
     
         85 . The bone plate of  claim 82 , wherein the first region is substantially smooth. 
     
     
         86 . The bone plate of  claim 82 , wherein the inward taper is curved. 
     
     
         87 . The bone plate of  claim 86 , wherein the curved inward taper is spherical. 
     
     
         88 . The bone plate of  claim 82 , wherein the first hole has a substantially circular cross section with a diameter. 
     
     
         89 . The bone plate of  claim 88 , wherein the diameter of the circular cross section varies along the first hole axis. 
     
     
         90 . The bone plate of  claim 82 , wherein the second region conically tapers at a cone angle of between about 5° and 15°. 
     
     
         91 . The bone plate of  claim 82 , wherein a maximum diameter of the first region is greater than a maximum diameter of the second region. 
     
     
         92 . The bone plate of  claim 82 , wherein a minimum diameter of the first region is substantially equal to a maximum diameter of the second region. 
     
     
         93 . The bone plate of  claim 82 , wherein the third region communicates with the second region. 
     
     
         94 . The bone plate of  claim 93 , wherein a point of the second region nearest the lower surface abuts a point of the third region nearest the upper surface. 
     
     
         95 . The bone plate of  claim 82 , wherein the third region is non-threaded. 
     
     
         96 . The bone plate of  claim 82 , wherein the third region is substantially smooth. 
     
     
         97 . The bone plate of  claim 82 , wherein the third region is, in a direction from the upper surface to the lower surface, tapered outward. 
     
     
         98 . The bone plate of  claim 97 , wherein the outward taper of the third region is conical. 
     
     
         99 . The bone plate of  claim 98 , wherein the third region conically tapers at a cone angle of between about 40° and 50°. 
     
     
         100 . A bone plate system, comprising:
 a plate body having an upper surface and a lower surface, the plate body including a first hole extending therethrough from the upper surface to the lower surface, the hole including three regions separated from one another along a length of the first hole, the first and third regions of the first hole being non-threaded, and a second middle region of the hole between the first and third regions including threading, wherein the first region has, in a direction from the upper surface to the lower surface, an inward taper that is present around an axis of the hole; and   a fastener to fasten the bone plate to a bone.   
     
     
         101 . The bone plate of  claim 100 , wherein the first hole has a substantially circular cross section with a diameter.