Anterior cervical plate holder/drill guide and method of use

Abstract

A drill and tap guide system is disclosed which can be mounted on a bone plate to provide a finn foundation for accurately drilling and tapping screw holes into vertebra to be instrumented. The drill and tap guide system includes an assembly support which is engaged to the plate by way of a positioning screw and cross pins mounting the positioning screw to the guide body. A tap sleeve and drill guide can then be supported by the assembly support, which both thereby provide accurate positioning for a drill. In another embodiment, the system includes a guide apparatus for holding a spinal plate and drilling and tapping the bone. The guide comprises two arms which pivot with respect to each other and a foot attached at the end of each arm. Each foot has a hook which is adapted to securely grasp a spinal plate and a pair of thru-holes. Each hole is aligned with a screw bore in a spinal plate when the guide assembly is engaged to the plate. The system further includes a number of double-headed fixation pins, which hold the plate in position against the cervical spine during drilling and tapping.