Bone cleaning tool

Abstract

The present invention is directed to systems, methods, tools and surgical procedures that provide for improved, faster and/or more efficient methods for cleaning bone of soft tissue in preparation for use in bone grafting and surgery, including specific applications particularly useful in fusion procedures and/or other surgeries of the lumbar, cervical, and/or thoracic spine and/or other anatomical locations, desirably allowing for faster and complete healing.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A surgical cutting instrument for cutting a tissue surface of a patient, comprising:
 a first elongated member having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end adapted for connection to a powered handpiece and the distal end including a cutting head;   the cutting head comprising a conically shaped cutting head including a plurality of cutting elements, each of the cutting elements including a first cutting surface and a second cutting surface for engaging the tissue surface, the first cutting surface engaging the tissue surface when the cutting head is moved in a first direction and the second cutting surface engaging the tissue surface when the cutting head is moved in a second direction which is different than the first direction;   the first and second cutting surfaces comprising different shaped cutting surfaces.   
     
     
         2 . The surgical cutting instrument of  claim 1 , wherein the first direction is a forward rotary direction and the second direction is a reverse rotary direction. 
     
     
         3 . The surgical cutting instrument of  claim 1 , wherein the first direction is a forward motion along a longitudinal axis of the elongated member and the second direction is an opposing motion along the longitudinal axis of the elongated member. 
     
     
         4 . The surgical cutting instrument of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cutting elements comprise a plurality of substantially elongated rigid spines. 
     
     
         5 . The surgical cutting instrument of  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of substantially elongated rigid spines is rigidly attached to the cutting head. 
     
     
         6 . The surgical cutting instrument of  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of substantially elongated rigid spines is flexibly attached to the cutting head. 
     
     
         7 . The surgical cutting instrument of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cutting elements comprise a plurality of raised protrusions. 
     
     
         8 . The surgical cutting instrument of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cutting elements comprise a plurality of apertures formed in the cutting head. 
     
     
         9 . The surgical cutting instrument of  claim 1 , wherein each of the cutting elements further comprises a third cutting surface for engaging the tissue surface when the cutting head is moved in a third direction, the third direction being different than the first and second directions. 
     
     
         10 . The surgical cutting instrument of  claim 1 , wherein the first cutting surface is a more aggressive cutting surface than the second cutting surface. 
     
     
         11 . A surgical cutting instrument for cutting a tissue surface of a patient, comprising:
 a first elongated member having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end adapted for connection to a powered handpiece and the distal end including a cutting head;   the cutting head including a plurality of substantially rigid spines extending outward from the cutting head;   each of the plurality of spines including a cutting tip located at a distal end of the spine,   at least a first portion of the cutting tips oriented for cutting the tissue surface when the cutting head is moved in a first direction; and   at least a second portion of the cutting tips oriented for cutting the tissue surface when the cutting head is moved in a second direction; the second direction being different than the first direction.   
     
     
         12 . The surgical cutting instrument of  claim 11 , wherein a first spine of the plurality of substantially rigid spines extending outward from the cutting head is aligned along a perpendicular orientation relative to a longitudinal axis of the first elongated member and a second spine of the plurality of substantially rigid spines extending outward from the cutting head is aligned along a non-perpendicular orientation relative to the longitudinal axis of the first elongated member. 
     
     
         13 . The surgical cutting instrument of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of substantially rigid spines extending outward from the cutting head comprises a first spine and a second spine, the first and second spine having differing longitudinal lengths. 
     
     
         14 . The surgical cutting instrument of  claim 11 , wherein the first direction comprises forward rotary movement of the cutting head and the second direction comprises reverse rotary movement of the cutting head. 
     
     
         15 . The surgical cutting instrument of  claim 11 , wherein the first direction comprises a first linear movement of the cutting head along a longitudinal axis of the first elongated member and the second direction comprises a second linear movement of the cutting head along the longitudinal axis of the first elongated member, the first liner movement of the cutting head being in an opposing direction to the second linear movement of the cutting head. 
     
     
         16 . A method of preparing graft bone surfaces during a surgical bone graft procedure, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a rotary cutting tool comprising an elongated shaft and a cutting head including a plurality of substantially rigid outwardly extending spines arranged for rotary engagement with a tissue surface, the elongated shaft having a proximal end and a distal end and the cutting head mounted on the elongated shaft proximate to the distal end, at least one of the plurality of substantially rigid outwardly extending spines including a first cutting surface and a second cutting surface, the first and second cutting surfaces located proximate to a distal spine tip;   causing the rotary cutting tool to rotate in a first direction;   applying the rotary cutting tool to the tissue surface; and   moving the rotary cutting tool along the tissue surface while the rotary cutting tool rotates in the first direction to engage the first cutting surface with a first portion of the tissue surface so as to remove the first portion of the tissue surface.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising the step of:
 causing the rotary cutting tool to rotate in a second direction that generally opposes the first direction;   applying the rotary cutting tool to the tissue surface; and   moving the rotary cutting tool along the tissue surface while the rotary cutting tool rotates in the second direction to engage the second cutting surface with a second portion of the tissue surface so as to remove the second portion of the tissue surface.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the first portion of the tissue surface comprises a soft tissue covering the bone graft surfaces. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the first portion of the tissue surface comprises a soft tissue covering the bone graft surfaces and the second portion of the tissue surface comprises a bony tissue portion of the bone graft surfaces. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the first cutting surface is a more aggressive cutting surface than the second cutting surface.