Patent ID: 8127454

Claim:
A surgical rod cutter comprising: two pivotally attached handles and a cutter head for severing a rod, said cutter head having openings of different diameters for receiving rods of different diameters and thereby requiring cutting forces of different amounts, each of said handles having two telescoping members extending along a longitudinal axis for extension and contraction between said members, a first detent interengageable between said two telescoping members for releasably securing said two telescoping members in relative telescopic extended relationship and a second detent interengageable between said two telescoping members for releasably securing said two telescoping members in relative telescopic contracted relationship, both said detents being operable in response to a force along said longitudinal axis, wherein said second detent is releasable in response to a pulling force on said members along said longitudinal axis for the telescopic extension of said members, said openings having entries on said head and cutting edges surrounding said openings, a detachable cutting edge location indicator mounted on said rod comprising: a U-shaped tension clip which partially encloses said surgical rod and exerts pressure on said surgical rod to secure said surgical rod in a position perpendicular to said U-shaped tension clip, said U-shape tension clip further including counter-sunk holes; and a cylindrical pin having an inner flanged end and an outer flanged end, wherein said cylindrical pin is positioned so that when an outer surface of said outer flanged end is flush with an outer surface of said U-shaped tension clip, said inner flanged end is visibly positioned to indicate a location of a desired cut on a rod.