Importance

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Abstract

A method and apparatus for stapling together adjacent bone tissue, such as a severed sternum, includes a staple applying tool adapted to drive each leg of a two-legged staple through a respective portion of the bone tissue. The tool includes a distal shoe having a staple forming anvil, the shoe being supported on a thin metal web extending from the tool between the bone tissue portions, so that the tool may be disposed at the outer surface of the bone and the anvil may be supported adjacent to the inner surface of the anvil. The tool includes a piston within caliper assembly, the caliper moving to contact the surface of the sternum and lock in place before the staple is advanced by the piston into the sternum. A staple cartridge is removable from the tool, the cartridge including a latch mechanism that prevents discharge of staples therefrom when the cartridge is removed from the tool. The latch mechanism, which is actuated by insertion into the tool, also acts to retain the cartridge in the tool. The invention also includes an adjusting tool which is provided to increase the impingement of the confronting portions of bone tissue. The adjusting tool includes a pair of jaws, one having a fulcrum lug and the other having two spaced lugs, whereby the staple web may be bent by closure of the lugs together to decrease the linear spacing of the staple legs and increase the abutting force of the bone tissue portions.

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First Claim