Retro-cutting instrument with adjustable limit setting

A cutting instrument, comprising:

• an elongate body having a proximal portion, a distal portion, and a central longitudinal axis that extends therethrough;
• a drilling tip located at the distal portion of the elongate body;
• and
• a cutting blade having a proximal end, a distal end, and a central axis that extends therebetween, the cutting blade being coupled at a pivot point within a cavity of the elongate body and deployable from the elongate body, the cutting blade having a retracted configuration in which the central axis of the cutting blade is disposed at an angle of substantially zero degrees with respect to the central longitudinal axis, and a plurality of deployed configurations in which the central axis protrudes from the elongate body at an angle with respect to the central longitudinal axis, the pivot point being more proximate to the central longitudinal axis than the distal end of the cutting blade is to the central longitudinal axis when the blade is at the plurality of deployed configurations, and the cutting blade being in a fully- deployed position at each of the plurality of deployed configurations and configured to cut an opening while at each of the plurality of deployed configurations.

A surgical method, comprising:

• drilling a first opening in a first target site of a patient using a drilling tip of a cutting instrument, the cutting instrument having a cutting blade in a retracted position;
• setting a deployment diameter limit of the cutting blade of the cutting instrument to one of a plurality of fully-deployed positions, the cutting blade having a pre-set diameter that is associated with each of the fully-deployed positions, the cutting blade being configured to cut a second opening at each of the fully-deployed positions;
• deploying the cutting blade to the deployment diameter limit, at least a portion of the cutting blade protruding from the cutting instrument after being deployed;
• and
• cutting a second opening in a second target site in the patient, the opening having a second diameter which is greater than the first diameter.