Integrated cutting guide and surgical saw blade assembly, the cutting guide including a moveable head that constrains the movement of the blade assembly

A saw blade and cutting guide assembly, said assembly including:

• a saw blade assembly, said saw blade assembly including:
• an elongated blade bar having opposed proximal and distal ends, the proximal end shaped to be attached to a saw and the distal end having a thickness;
• a blade having a base that is movably mounted in said bar adjacent the bar distal end and teeth that extend from said base that are located outside of said bar wherein said teeth have a thickness so that a kerf cut by said teeth is able to receive the distal end of said blade bar;
• and
• at least one drive rod movably disposed in said blade bar, said at least one drive rod having a proximal end shaped to be attached to a driver integral with the saw and a distal end connected to said blade base so that the actuation of said drive rod by the saw driver results in said drive rod reciprocating said blade;
• a cutting guide, said cutting guide including:
• a body, said body shaped to have:
• an outer surface over which said blade bar is disposed;
• a groove that extends inwardly from the outer surface;
• and a feature that facilitate holding said body static relative to bone;
• and
• a constrainment unit, said constrainment unit having a base anchor disposed in the groove of said body of said cutting guide and a head that is connected to said base anchor that is spaced above the outer surface of said body so that said blade bar of said saw blade assembly is disposed between the outer surface of said body and said head of said constrainment unit, wherein said constrainment unit is configured to allow said blade bar to both pivot relative to said constrainment unit and move forward over the outer surface of said body while, simultaneously, said constraining head simultaneously constrains movement of said blade bar away from the outer surface of said body and said slot of said body and said base anchor are collectively configured to allow said base anchor to move within the slot while restraining outward movement of said base anchor so that, while said blade bar is disposed between the outer surface of said body and said constrainment head, said constrainment unit and said blade bar are able to move together over the outer surface of said blade body.