Apparatus and method for harvesting a bone-tendon-bone ligament graft

A system for harvesting a substantially cylindrical bone plug comprising, in combination, a blade and a drive means therefor, said blade adapted for peripheral attachment to the drive means and comprising:

• a cylindrical body having an axis, a rigid cylindrical wall having a predetermined length along said axis, said wall situated at a first radius from said axis and having a longitudinally extending gap in said wall, said gap subtending a predetermined arcuate distance to form an open area extending radially outwardly from said axis, in a plane transverse to said axis, and extending longitudinally the extent of said predetermined length, and opposing, axially aligned edges along said cylindrical wall, said cylindrical body having, before attachment to the drive means, a predetermined open loop shape in a plane perpendicular to said axis;
• a cutting means on at least one of said axially aligned edges of said cylindrical wall, said cutting means adapted to make an arcuate cut upon oscillation of said cylindrical body about said axis;
• and
• a first and second mounting means extending a predetermined distance longitudinally along said cylindrical wall on each side of said gap and extending outwardly from said axis in a predetermined, fixed orientation relative to each other, said mounting mans for selectively securing said blade directly to the drive means and for maintaining said gap when said blade is in use, said first and second mounting means each having predetermined, outwardly extending portions thereof situated at radial distances greater than said first radius, said predetermined portions being non-contiguous and separated from each other, on opposite sides of said gap so as to leave a predetermined portion of said open area unoccupied by any part of said cylindrical wall or said first or second mounting means, thereby enabling said cylindrical wall to maintain said predetermined shape before and while said blade is peripherally attached to the drive means;
• and
• said drive means comprising:
• means for oscillating said blade about its axis;
• and
• means for accepting and maintaining said first and second mounting means in a spaced apart orientation while oscillating said cylindrical body about said axis, said means for accepting and maintaining comprising first and second receiving means, respectively, shaped complementarily with said first and second mounting means.