Acetabular reamer lipping system and method

1. A lipping tool for lipping an acetabular reamer, said lipping tool comprising:

a bending form having a bending form curved surface and a bending form axis; and

a pressure tool having a pressure tool curved surface adjacent to and complimentary with said bending form curved surface, said pressure tool having a pressure tool axis, said pressure tool being rotatable about said pressure tool axis, said pressure tool being rotatable about said bending form axis.

2. The lipping tool of claim 1 , wherein said bending form is rotatable about said bending form axis.

3. The lipping tool of claim 1 , further including at least one at least partially circumferential compression flange on at least one of said bending form and said pressure tool.

4. The lipping tool of claim 1 , further including an at least partially circumferential bending protrusion at said bending form curved surface and an at least partially circumferential bending recess at said pressure tool curved surface, at least one of said at least partially circumferential bending protrusion and said at least partially circumferential bending recess having one of an approximately triangular cross-section and a cross-section with at least one curved segment.

5. A system for lipping an acetabular reamer, said system comprising:

a bending form having a bending form curved surface and a bending form axis;

a pressure tool having a pressure tool curved surface adjacent to and complimentary with said bending form curved surface, said pressure tool having a pressure tool axis; and

an actuator connected to said pressure tool for effecting rotation of said pressure tool about said pressure tool axis and about said bending form axis.

6. The lipping tool of claim 5 , wherein said bending form is rotatable about said bending form axis.

7. The lipping tool of claim 5 , further including at least one at least partially circumferential compression flange on at least one of said bending form and said pressure tool.

8. The lipping tool of claim 5 , further including an at least partially circumferential bending protrusion at said bending form curved surface and an at least partially circumferential bending recess at said pressure tool curved surface, at least one of said at least partially circumferential bending protrusion and said at least partially circumferential bending recess having one of an approximately triangular cross-section and a cross-section with at least one curved segment.

9. The lipping tool of claim 5 , wherein said actuator includes a press ram, one of a hydraulic and a pneumatic cylinder, and a pivoting linkage, said press ram connected to said cylinder, said cylinder connected to said pivoting linkage, said pivoting linkage connected to said pressure tool.

10. The lipping tool of claim 9 , wherein said press ram includes a press ram longitudinal axis, said cylinder includes a cylinder axis, said press ram connected to said cylinder with said press ram axis approximately orthogonal to said cylinder axis.

11. The lipping tool of claim 9 , wherein said pivoting linkage includes a first stage, a second stage and a pivot therebetween, said first stage includes a first longitudinal end and a second longitudinal end, said first longitudinal end connected to said cylinder, said second longitudinal end connected to said pivot, said second stage includes a first end and a second end, said first end pivotably connected to said pivot, said second end rotatably connected to said pressure tool.

12. The lipping tool of claim 9 , wherein said pivoting linkage is also connected to said press ram.

13. A method of lipping an acetabular reamer including at least one cutting tooth, including the steps of:

providing a bending form and a pressure tool;

placing a first side of the acetabular reamer in a region of at least one cutting tooth on said bending form;

contacting a second side of the acetabular reamer at said region with said pressure tool;

pressing the acetabular reamer between said bending form and said pressure tool at a portion of said region thereby bending said portion; and

rolling the acetabular reamer between said bending form and said pressure tool through a remaining region of said cutting tooth thereby bending said remaining region of said cutting tooth.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein said rolling step includes rotation of said pressure tool about a pressure tool axis and about a bending form axis.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein said rolling step includes rotating said bending form about a bending form axis.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein said method is carried out using the acetabular reamer with a curved portion, said curved portion having a radius of curvature varying from approximately 10 mm to 50 mm.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein said rolling step subtends an arc length of said curved portion, said arc length is constant and independent of said radius of curvature.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein said rolling step subtends an arc length of 1 mm to 25 mm.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein said method is carried with said curved portion being a hemisphere.

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein said cutting tooth is bent an approximately uniform height from said second side.