Abstract:
A surgical blade for performing a wedge osteotomy, the blade including a body portion, having a cutting tip on a first end for initially cutting into the bone; a cutting slope comprising multiple rows of cutting teeth at multiple planes to resect bone as it enters, leaving a wedge osteotomy; a shaft of a predetermined length and width for supporting the cutting slope; and a saw attachment base on a second end of the blade for engaging a base of a saw to cause the blade to oscillate and perform the wedge osteotomy.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/164,594, filed Mar. 30, 2009, incorporated herein by reference, is hereby claimed. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not applicable 
     REFERENCE TO A “MICROFICHE APPENDIX” 
     Not applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention generally relates to surgical devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to a surgical saw blade for wedge osteotomies. 
     2. General Background of the Invention 
     Current surgical saw blades make straight or crescentic shaped osteotomies. This causes the user to make multiple osteotomies to resect a wedge of bone. Creation of multiple osteotomies is time consuming, and can create inconsistent wedge sizes and planar inaccuracies. 
     As can be seen, there is a need for a surgical saw blade for precise, reproducible, and predictable wedge osteotomies. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The apparatus of the present invention solves the problem in a simple and straightforward manner. What is provided is a surgical blade for use with a saw, the bland which includes a cutting tip, having a plurality of cutting teeth; a shaft having a cutting slope, with the plurality of teeth positioned along multiple planes on the cutting slope; a neck portion; and a saw base; wherein the saw causes the blade to oscillate as it undergoes the cutting procedure. 
     These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a further understanding of the nature, objects, and advantages of the present invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, read in conjunction with the following drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an overall view of a first embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a side view of a first embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates an overall view of a second embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a top view of a second embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a side view of a second embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 6  illustrates an overall view of a third embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a top view of a third embodiment of the invention; and 
         FIG. 8  illustrates a top view of an embodiment of the invention and shows the rows of cutting teeth and cutting tip having a radius. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims. 
     Various inventive features are described below that can each be used independently of one another or in combination with other features. However, any single inventive feature may not address any of the problems discussed above or may only address one of the problems discussed above. Further, one or more of the problems discussed above may not be fully addressed by any of the features described below. 
     An embodiment of the present invention adds a slope on one side of the blade from the distal tip to the proximal shaft with teeth to allow for a precise predetermined wedge of bone to be resected with performing only one osteotomy. The present invention relates to a surgical saw blade for precise, reproducible, and predictable wedge osteotomies. 
     Embodiments of the present invention include a surgical saw blade for creating precise wedge osteotomies that are reproducible and predictable, to be used to correct angular deformities in bones and joints. An embodiment of the invention, which may be called a “wedge osteotomy blade,” creates a precise predetermined wedge cut in bone with one pass. This can eliminate the need for two passes with a standard bone saw blade, as well as eliminate planar inconsistencies associated with multiple passes. The osteotomy is reproducible and predictable. 
       FIGS. 1 through 8  illustrate the preferred embodiments of the device of the present invention. Broadly, each embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 8  is generally a surgical saw blade  12  for precise, reproducible, and predictable wedge osteotomies. Although each embodiment has slight modifications over other embodiments, it should be known that the principal inventive features as claimed are found in each embodiment as shown in the  FIGS. 1 through 8 . 
     In each embodiment, the wedge osteotomy blade  12  is a device designed to create a precise, predetermined wedge osteotomy in bone. The wedge osteotomy blade  12  could be retro-fitted to any surgical saw configuration. The wedge osteotomy blade  12  could be constructed of surgical grade stainless steel or any other material used for cutting bone that can be sterilized. 
     The blade  12  further comprises a blade body  13  having a cutting tip  14  which is designed with multiple teeth  16  to create a cut in bone when oscillated. This tip  14  preferably has a radius R, and could contain any number of teeth. The radius R is illustrated in  FIG. 8 . The teeth could be any length or of any design. 
     There is provided a cutting slope  18  designed on one side  21  of a shaft  20 , with the underside  22  being flat. The cutting slope  18  could be any rise over run desired for creating a wedge osteotomy (see  FIG. 8 ). The slope should be at its highest height near the neck  24  and at its lowest height at the cutting tip  14 . 
     The cutting slope  18  has multiple rows of cutting teeth  19 . Each row of teeth  19  is elevated above the run of the distal row of teeth  19 . The cutting teeth  19  could be of any design and preferably have the same radius, number of teeth, and same length as the cutting tip  14 . 
     The shaft  20  is designed to be flat on four surfaces and accommodates the cutting slope  18  on the fifth surface  25 , and the cutting tip  14  on the sixth surface  26 . The shaft  20  could be of any shape, preferably rectangular or trapezoidal. The shaft  20  extends from the neck  21  to the cutting tip  14 . The shaft  20  could be any length and width. 
     The neck  21  is designed to be the transition from the shaft  20  to the saw attachment base  27 . 
     The saw attachment base  27  allows the blade  12  to be attached to a surgical saw (not illustrated). 
     The invention provides the surgeon a way to make accurate wedge osteotomies with predictability and reproducibility. The wedge osteotomy blade  12  has a cutting tip  14  to start the osteotomy. The cutting slope  18  resects bone as it enters, leaving a wedge osteotomy. The cutting slope  18  has rows of cutting teeth  19  for resection of bone while oscillating. The shaft  20  is of a predetermined length and width and supports the cutting slope  18 . The neck  21  is the transition of the shaft  20  into the saw attachment base  27 . The saw attachment base  27  can be of any design to fit any number of surgical saw manufacturers. 
     The wedge osteotomy blade  12  is one component. It can be manufactured from surgical grade stainless steel or any other material used for cutting bone that can be sterilized. 
     The wedge osteotomy blade  12  works by creating a precise, predetermined, wedge osteotomy in bone. To perform an osteotomy with the wedge osteotomy blade  12 , the Surgeon has to first attach the blade  12  to a surgical saw (not illustrated). The surgical saw could be from any manufacturer. The wedge osteotomy blade  12  which is being oscillated by the surgical saw is then introduced into the bone in a straight fashion. The surgeon can dictate whether to make a complete through and through osteotomy, or leave the distal cortex intact as a hinge. After satisfactory wedge resection, saw is disengaged and removed from bone. It leaves a precise, predetermined, wedge osteotomy for the surgeon to correct angular deformities in bones and joints. 
     To make this invention a detailed drawing, or a computer aided design drawing is needed. With the aforementioned drawings, one could machine a wedge osteotomy blade from surgical grade stainless steel or any other material used for cutting bone that can be sterilized. 
     Another way to reconfigure the wedge osteotomy blade  12  would be to have the cutting slope  18  on two opposite sides of the shaft  20  to create a two sided cutting surface for a “V” type wedge resection, instead of the “right triangle” shaped wedge. 
     A person would use the invention in the following way. First the saw attachment base  27  is attached to a surgical saw from any number of manufactures. The next step would be to turn the surgical saw on, which in turn would oscillate the wedge osteotomy blade  12 . The surgeon then engages the bone with the cutting tip  14  first. As the surgeon advances the blade  12  in a linear fashion through the bone the cutting slope  18  resects a wedge of bone with precision, predictability, and reproducibility. 
     It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims. 
     The following is a list of parts and materials suitable for use in the present invention. 
     
       
         
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 PARTS LIST 
               
             
          
           
               
                 Part Number 
                 Description 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 12 
                 wedge osteotomy blade 
               
               
                 13 
                 blade body 
               
               
                 14 
                 cutting tip 
               
               
                 18 
                 cutting slope 
               
               
                 19 
                 cutting teeth 
               
               
                 20 
                 shaft 
               
               
                 21 
                 neck 
               
               
                 22 
                 underside 
               
               
                 25 
                 fifth surface 
               
               
                 26 
                 sixth surface 
               
               
                 27 
                 saw attachment base 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     All measurements disclosed herein are at standard temperature and pressure, at sea level on Earth, unless indicated otherwise. All materials used or intended to be used in a human being are biocompatible, unless indicated otherwise. 
     The foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only; the scope of the present invention is to be limited only by the following claims.