US Patent 7537596 Bone plates with intraoperatively tapped apertures

Method of tapping a bone plate intraoperatively. A bone plate having an aperture may be selected, and the bone plate may be placed on a bone. A thread may be formed in the aperture using a tap device with the bone plate disposed on the bone. A hole may be formed in the bone, with the hole in alignment with the aperture. The hole may be widened adjacent the aperture to create a counterbore in the bone. A fastener may be advanced into threaded engagement with the thread after removal of the tap device from the aperture.