Patent ID: 7645282

Claim:
A method of cutting a surgical tension member comprising: setting a fractured bone in a desired position utilizing a length of a surgical tension member; crimping a locking element to the surgical tension member next to the bone utilizing a surgical opening; inserting a proximal end of the surgical tension member into a distal end of a surgical device, the surgical device having outer and inner tubular coaxial members with coordinating, off-center, substantially circular openings on the distal end, the substantially circular openings being substantially aligned with one another when the proximal end of the surgical tension member is inserted, the substantially circular openings receiving the proximal end of the surgical tension member; moving the distal end of the outer and inner coaxial members along the surgical tension member and into the surgical opening to contact the locking element without allowing the locking element to pass into the substantially circular opening of the outer tubular coaxial member; applying tension to a portion of the surgical tension member extending out of a proximal portion of the surgical device to urge the distal end of the surgical device against the locking element; while applying tension to the portion of the surgical tension member, actuating handles of the surgical device to cause rotation of the coaxial members with respect to one another to move the substantially circular openings with respect to one another such that curved edges of the circular openings exert a shear cutting force on the surgical tension member to sever a length thereof, wherein a threaded pin of a retaining element allows rotation of the inner coaxial member relative to the outer coaxial member while limiting translation of the inner coaxial member relative to the outer coaxial member during actuation of the handles; and removing the severed length of the surgical tension member and the surgical device from the surgical opening.