Coring reamer

A coring reamer comprising:

• a cylindrical hollow tube having a central longitudinal axis;
• a series of cutting teeth projecting from a distal end of said tube such that between any two adjacent teeth, one tooth is bent in a direction in toward said longitudinal axis and the other tooth is bent in a direction out away from said longitudinal axis of said hollow tube;
• and
• at least one slot in a wall of said tube so that a fluid may flow into said tube as the core cut by said reamer is taken out from within said hollow tube;
• wherein between the slot and the series of cutting teeth the hollow tube is devoid of internal structure for receiving a solid core therein.

A method for forming a graft comprising:

• stably aiming a cylindrical tunnel at a bone;
• inserting a coring reamer through the cylindrical tunnel;
• operating the coring reamer to form a bone tunnel in the bone and to remove a bone core;
• extracting the bone core from the coring reamer;
• and
• attaching a ligament replacement to the bone core.

A coring reamer for cutting a solid bone core, the reamer comprising:

• a tube having a central longitudinal axis and an outer surface presenting a cylindrical profile that is of uniform diameter along the length of the tube so that the tube may be inserted through an opening in a bone-cutting guide, the opening having a diameter that corresponds substantially with that of the cylindrical profile, the tube defining a chamber for receiving the solid core therein;
• a series of cutting teeth projecting from one end of the tube, the cutting teeth arranged so as to form a pattern of teeth bent in a direction toward the longitudinal axis and teeth bent in a direction away from the longitudinal axis;
• and
• at least one opening through a wall of the tube, so that when inserted in the bone-cutting guide and caused to engage against a bone, the tube may cut the bone to produce the solid core.

A coring reamer for cutting a solid bone core, the reamer comprising:

• a tube having an interior devoid of structure so as to enable receiving of the solid core and an outer surface presenting a cylindrical profile that is of uniform diameter along the length of the tube so that the tube may be inserted through an opening in a bone-cutting guide, the opening having a diameter that corresponds substantially with that of the cylindrical profile;
• a series of cutting teeth projecting from a distal end of the tube, the cutting teeth arranged so as to form a pattern of teeth bent in a direction toward the interior of the tube and teeth bent in a direction away from the interior of the tube;
• and
• at least one opening through a wall of the tube, so that fluid may flow into the tube as the solid core cut by the reamer is removed from the interior of the tube.

A coring reamer for cutting a solid bone core, the reamer comprising:

• a tube of substantially uniform diameter along its entire outer surface so that the tube may be inserted through an opening in a bone-cutting guide, the opening having a diameter that corresponds substantially with that of the cylindrical profile;
• a chamber positioned within the tube for receiving the solid core;
• and
• a series of cutting teeth projecting from one end of the tube so as to form a pattern of teeth bent in a direction toward the outer surface and teeth bent in a direction away from the outer surface.