Method of enabling bone screws to be installed at an angle in underlying bone

Claim 2

In a method of installing a fracture fixation fastener at an acute angle in an underlying bone by engaging the fastener in a hole in a support plate, the improvement by which the fastener can be engaged and supported in the hole in the plate within a pre-determined angular range which is asymmetrical relative to a line perpendicular to said plate, said improvement comprising: forming said plate with a determined thickness, forming said hole in the plate with a determined diameter and at a determined angle in said plate, and correlating said diameter and angle of said hole relative to the thickness of the plate so that said fastener will be inserted into said hole within said pre-determined angular range and wherein said angular range provides desired asymmetric limit angles of insertion of said fastener relative to the line perpendicular to said plate.

Claim 3

The improvement as claimed in claim 1, wherein for a fastener having diameter d to be inserted within an angular range of insertion θ 1 in a clockwise direction relative to a line perpendicular to the surface of the plate and within an angular range of insertion θ 2 in a counterclockwise direction relative to a line perpendicular to the surface of the plate, wherein θ 1 and θ 2 are unequal, said hole is provided at angle α relative to a line perpendicular to the surface of the plate and with a diameter h, where α=arc tan(X.sub.2 -X.sub.1)/2t h=(X.sub.2 +X.sub.1)(cos α)/2 where θ 1 =limit of insertion angle desired in the clockwise direction θ 2 =limit of insertion angle desired in the counterclockwise direction t=plate thickness d=maximal diameter of the fastener and the variables X 1 , X 2 are defined according to the relationship: X.sub.2 =d/cos(θ.sub.2)+t(tan(θ.sub.2)) X.sub.1 =d/cos(θ.sub.1)-t(tan(θ.sub.1) all angles being measured from said line perpendicular to said plate.

Claim 4

The improvement as claimed in claim 2, wherein said hole is formed with countersinking at upper and lower surfaces to a particular depth in said plate, said value of thickness used in the above relationships being an effective thickness of the plate which is equal to the total thickness of the plate minus a sum of the countersinking depths at the upper and lower surfaces of the plate.

Claim 5

The improvement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hole is formed by laser drilling.