Patent ID: 8348966

Claim:
A system for releasing a ligament, the system comprising: a tubular body comprising: a proximal end, a distal end opposite the proximal end, a tubular wall defining a lumen extending longitudinally through the tubular body and a window extending through the tubular wall; a flexible body extending through the tubular body and comprising: a proximal end, a distal end opposite the proximal end and a tissue cutting portion located between the distal end and the proximal end of the flexible body; and a handle coupled to the proximal end of the tubular body and comprising a slidable actuator and a slider channel, the actuator coupled to the flexible body and configured to slide longitudinally along the slider channel to longitudinally displace the flexible body relative to the tubular body to move the tissue cutting portion between a non-deployed state and a deployed state, wherein the tissue cutting portion includes a plurality of saw teeth that are hidden within the tubular body so as to be enclosed by the wall of the tubular body when the flexible body is in the non-deployed state and are exposed in the window when the flexible body is in the deployed state to release the ligament.