Patent attributes
A lockable pin plate assembly which has a pin plate adapted to be secured to stable bone and provided with pin holes for pins for pinning an unstable bone fragment. One or more pin holes are engageable by pins of an integral U-pin. The pins have stop surfaces thereon which are resiliently displaced when the pins are seated to automatically and self-lock the pin and the pin plate to oppose withdrawal and backing out of the pins from the pin plate. In a preferred embodiment, each pin of the U pin has a leading portion and a trailing portion, the leading portion being of smaller diameter to pass freely through an elliptical hole in the pin plate whereas the trailing portion is of larger size to become locked in the pin hole as it is advanced therein.