Importance

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Abstract

A blade for a surgical saw has an elongate body with distal and proximal ends, and a plurality of teeth formed on an outwardly facing edge surface of the distal end. The spaces between adjacent teeth are defined by surfaces which lie in planes which are non-perpendicular to the substantially flat surfaces which define the body of the blade. These non-perpendicular surfaces guide cuttings generated by the teeth laterally toward the flat surfaces of the blade and outwardly toward the proximal end of the blade as the blade advances in a cut. Each of the teeth formed on the edge of the blade has a pointed form. Approximately half of the teeth lie in a row in which the respective points lie in a first cutting plane which extends in parallel with, and lies adjacent a first side of, a plane which extends longitudinally through the center of the blade body. The remaining teeth have points which lie in a second row in a second cutting plane which extends in parallel with, and lies adjacent a second side of, the plane which extends longitudinally through the blade body. The teeth have triangular cross-sections and are formed on alternatingly intersecting angled surfaces formed on the distal edge. The base of each tooth lies in the same plane as the surface upon which the tooth is formed. Each tooth has two side surfaces extending upwardly from the base and intersecting above the base to form a point. In the embodiment illustrated, the side surfaces are shaped as parallelograms and share a common side so as to form a knife-edge cutting surface which extends from the point backwardly toward the proximal end of the blade.

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First Claim