Patent ID: 7632273

Claim:
A method for cutting a cavity in a bone, comprising: providing a cutting apparatus that includes: a broach guide defining (i) a longitudinal axis, and (ii) a passage extending in the direction of said longitudinal axis, said broach guide including an internal guide surface defining said passage; and a broach assembly including (i) a slide component positioned within said passage, (ii) a broach attached to said slide component, and (iii) a driver component attached to said slide component; advancing said cutting apparatus into an intramedullary canal of the bone so that (i) said broach guide is at least partially positioned within said intramedullary canal, and (ii) said driver component of said broach assembly is at least partially positioned outside of said intramedullary canal; and impacting said driver component with a tool so as to force said broach toward said bone, said impacting step causing said slide component to move in relation to said internal guide surface within said passage of said broach guide in the direction of said longitudinal axis.