Apparatus and Method for Clamping and Trimming the Bone Tendon Portion of a Graft to a Desired Size

Abstract

An instrument for clamping and trimming the bone tendon portion of a graft to a desired size, comprising a pair of elongated handles each having jaws at one end; the handles being hinged together at a pivot point allowing the jaws to open and close in a scissor arrangement, the jaws defining a generally U-shaped trapezoidal receptacle when the jaws are closed about the bone tendon portion of the graft to be trimmed and the jaws comprising respective upper guide surfaces along their upper edges whereby, when a bone tendon portion is positioned in the U-shaped trapezoidal receptacle, the upper guide surfaces function as a guide for a blade of a saw to trim any excess portion of the bone tendon portion protruding above the upper guide surfaces.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An instrument for clamping and trimming the bone tendon portion of a graft to a desired size, comprising in combination:
 a first elongated handle and a second elongated handle;   a first finger loop at one end of said first elongated handle and a second finger loop at one end of said second elongated handle;   a first partial receptacle at another end of said first elongated handle and a second partial receptacle at another end of said second elongated handle;   a hinge interconnecting said handles allowing said partial receptacles to move toward each other to a closed position and to move away from each other to an open position in a scissor arrangement upon moving of said finger loops toward each other and away from each other, respectively;   each said partial receptacle comprising an upstanding wall;   at least one of said partial receptacles including a base extending toward the other said partial receptacle defining a single receptacle when moved to said closed position to receive and grasp the bone tendon portion of the graft; and   said upstanding walls each including an upper guide surface, said upper guide surfaces being coplanar with one another to define, when in said closed position, said single receptacle for receiving and grasping the bone tendon portion of the graft with said upper guide surfaces functioning as a guide for a blade of a saw to trim an excess portion of the bone tendon portion of the graft protruding above said upper guide surfaces.   
     
     
         2 . The instrument as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said single receptacle comprises a generally U-shaped trapezoidal receptacle. 
     
     
         3 . The instrument as set forth in  claim 2 , further including a clamp mechanism interconnecting said handles, said clamp mechanism comprising respective fingers, each having mating ratchet teeth to progressively lock said partial receptacles closed. 
     
     
         4 . The instrument as set forth in  claim 3 , wherein said fingers are dimensioned such that their respective outermost ratchet teeth start to engage one another when said partial receptacles are about to close. 
     
     
         5 . The instrument as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein both said partial receptacles are generally mirror images of one another.