US Patent 7354441 Bone plate

A bone plate includes an upper surface, a bone contacting surface, and at least one hole extending through the upper and bone contacting surfaces for receiving a bone screw. The at least one hole includes a first portion and a second portion that overlap one another. The first portion defines a substantially circular outer periphery and the second portion defines an elongated outer periphery that is elongated in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the plate. The first portion may have threads configured to engage threads on the head of a bone screw, and the second portion may be configured to cooperate with the head of a different bone screw to provide compression to the fracture.