Patent ID: 7749225

Claim:
A surgical method, comprising: providing a surgical instrument including an elongate member and at least one cutting element engaged with the elongate member and being transitionable between a retracted configuration and an expanded configuration, wherein the elongate member defines a tapping thread; and using said cutting element in said retracted configuration to form a passage in bone, wherein the using said cutting element in said retracted configuration comprises tapping at least a portion of the passage to form a threaded region of the passage; displacing the cutting element along the passage while in the retracted configuration; transitioning the cutting element to the expanded configuration by positioning the cutting element laterally beyond an outer profile of the tapping thread wherein the cutting element extends laterally outward from the tapping thread; and enlarging a portion of the threaded region of the passage by rotating the cutting element about a longitudinal axis of the surgical instrument to form an enlarged cross-sectional portion of the threaded region of the passage; and transitioning the cutting element to the retracted configuration and removing the surgical instrument from the passage.