There is often a need to bend or cut an implant during a surgical procedure or in preparation for a surgical procedure. For example, spinal rods are typically cut to a desired length and bent to a desired shape before being implanted in a patient. Often times, several bends are necessary to form a compound or complex bend along the length of a large implant. Forming the final shape can be an iterative process in which the implant is bent, checked for fit, and then bent again until the desired shape is achieved.
Existing solutions for bending or cutting implants have numerous shortcomings. The bending and cutting tools used today are very large and are not capable of bending an implant that is at least partially implanted in the patient. Instead, these tools are typically used at a back table in the operating room, remote from the patient and the surgical site. As a result, the surgeon usually needs to make several trips back and forth between the patient and the back table to make adjustments until the final implant shape is achieved. Existing tools also require significant input force from the surgeon, which increases surgeon fatigue. These tools also lack precision, which increases the number of adjustments that must be made to the implant. In some cases, repeated bending and adjustment of the implant can reduce the implant strength.
There is a continual need for improved cutting and/or bending devices and related methods.