Surgical instruments for cutting elongated elements and methods of use

A surgical instrument for cutting an elongated element comprising:

• first and second arms each with an elongated shape, a distal section, a proximal section, and a cutting element positioned at the distal section;
• the first arm further including a pair of opposing sidewalls comprising a first aperture that extends longitudinally through at least a portion of the distal section of the pair of opposing sidewalls and includes an inlet and an outlet spaced away from the inlet;
• the distal section of the second arm further including a pair of spaced apart walls that form a longitudinal channel;
• the distal section of the first arm being positioned in the channel of the second arm and in an overlapping arrangement with the walls of the second arm;
• a pivot member positioned in a distal channel running transverse to the longitudinal channel through the distal sections of the first and second arms where the arms are in the overlapping arrangement, the pivot member being fixedly attached to the first arm and movable relative to the second arm, the pivot member including a second aperture that aligns with the first aperture;
• a passage formed by the first aperture in the first arm and the second aperture in the pivot member, the passage extending through the pivot member to receive a portion of the elongated element, wherein an inlet of the passage is at a distal end of the first arm and an outlet is on a top side of the first arm that faces away from the second arm, the outlet positioned along the first arm on an opposite side of the pivot member from the inlet;
• and
• a force mechanism attached to the proximal sections of the first and second arms to pivot the first and second arms about the pivot member between an open orientation with the cutting elements spaced apart and a closed orientation with the cutting elements positioned in proximity to each other.