Bone graft forming guide

1. A bone graft forming guide for providing a bone graft having a desired shape comprising:

a main body including first and second portions defining an interior for holding a graft material;

a hole insert guide containing a plurality of holes arranged in a hole pattern generally corresponding to the desired shape of the bone graft, the hole pattern allowing for holes to be made along first and second spaced apart portions of the perimeter of the bone graft while the graft material is disposed within the interior; and

a cutting guide containing a cutting pattern corresponding to the desired shape of the bone graft, the cutting pattern allowing for cuts along at least first and second spaced apart portions of the perimeter of the bone graft while the graft material is disposed within the interior,

wherein the main body includes a guide receiving opening for the insert.

2. The bone graft forming guide of claim 1 , wherein the cutting guide is an insert and the main body includes a guide receiving opening for the insert.

3. The bone graft forming guide of claim 1 , wherein said cutting guide is detachably mounted to said main body.

4. The bone graft forming guide of claim 3 , wherein said cutting pattern of said cutting guide comprises a plurality of bores.

5. The bone graft forming guide of claim 4 , wherein said plurality of bores are interconnected.

6. The bone graft forming guide of claim 3 , wherein said cutting pattern of said cutting guide comprises at least one slot.

7. The bone graft forming guide of claim 3 , wherein said main body further comprises a mounting structure to facilitate detachably mounting said cutting guide to said main body.

8. The bone graft forming guide of claim 7 , wherein said main body further comprises a securing element to secure said cutting guide to said mounting structure.

9. The bone graft forming guide of claim 1 , wherein said first and second portions are hinged together, and wherein each have bone graft material contacting surfaces, and wherein at least one of said bone graft material contacting surfaces is deformable to facilitate holding said bone graft material when said bone graft material is clamped between said first and second hinged portions of said main body of said instrument.

10. The bone graft forming guide of claim 9 , wherein said at least one of said bone graft material contacting surfaces has protrusions.

11. The bone graft forming guide of claim 9 , wherein said at least one of said bone graft material contacting surfaces is non-linearly configured to accommodate a cross-sectional shape of said bone graft material.

12. The bone graft forming guide of claim 1 , wherein said first and second portions each have bone graft material contacting surfaces, and wherein at least one of said bone graft material contacting surfaces is non-linearly configured to accommodate a cross-sectional shape of said bone graft material.

13. The bone graft forming guide of claim 1 , wherein said pattern of said cutting guide comprises a plurality of bores.

14. The bone graft forming guide of claim 13 , wherein said plurality of bores are interconnected.

15. The bone graft forming guide of claim 1 , wherein said pattern of said cutting guide comprises at least one slot.

16. The bone graft forming guide of claim 1 , wherein the first and second portions have respective ends pivotally connected together.

17. A bone graft forming guide for providing a bone graft having a desired shape comprising:

a main body including a holder for holding a bone graft material, the main body including a first portion and a second portion, at least one end of the two portions being joined together to provide a holder for holding a graft material during cutting, the main body having a receiving structure adapted to receive an insert;

a hole guide insert associated with the main body, the hole guide insert containing a plurality of holes, the plurality of holes forming a hole pattern generally corresponding to the desired shape of the bone graft, the hole pattern allowing for holes to be made along first and second spaced apart portions of the perimeter of the bone graft; and

a cutting guide insert associated with the main body, the cutting guide insert containing a cutting pattern corresponding to the desired shape of the bone graft, the cutting pattern allowing for cuts along at least first and second spaced apart portions of the perimeter of the bone graft;

wherein said hole guide insert and said cutting guide insert are interchangeable.

18. The bone graft forming guide of claim 17 , wherein the hole guide insert and the cutting guide insert are removably insertable within the receiving structure.

19. The bone graft forming guide of claim 18 , further including closure means for closing the two portions of the main body together to hold a bone graft material during forming of the bone graft.

20. The bone graft forming guide of claim 19 , wherein said receiving structure further includes a cam member.

21. The bone graft forming guide of claim 17 , wherein said receiving structure is an opening in said main body, said opening sized to fit only one of said hole guide insert or said cutting guide insert at any given time.

22. The bone graft forming guide of claim 17 , wherein only the hole guide insert or only the cutting guide insert can be associated with the main body at one time.

23. The bone graft of claim 17 , wherein the first and second portions have respective ends pivotally connected together.

24. A bone graft forming guide for providing a bone graft having a desired shape comprising:

a main body including a holder for holding a bone graft material, the main body including a first portion and a second portion, at least one end of the two portions being joined together to provide a holder for holding a graft material during cutting, the main body having a receiving structure adapted to receive an insert;

a hole guide insert associated with the main body, the hole guide insert containing a plurality of holes, the plurality of holes forming a hole pattern generally corresponding to the desired shape of the bone graft, the hole pattern allowing for holes to be made along first and second spaced apart portions of the perimeter of the bone graft;

a cutting guide insert associated with the main body, the cutting guide insert containing a cutting pattern corresponding to the desired shape of the bone graft, the cutting pattern allowing for cuts along at least first and second spaced apart portions of the perimeter of the bone graft; and

closure means for closing the two portions of the main body together to hold a bone graft material during forming of the bone graft;

wherein the hole guide insert and the cutting guide insert are removably insertable within the receiving structure.

25. An instrument for use in forming a bone graft from bone graft material, said instrument comprising:

a body including first and second portions, each of said first and second portions having bone graft material contacting surfaces, said first and second portions being hinged together and defining an interior capable of holding said bone graft material;

a pattern guide associated with said body, wherein said pattern guide facilitates forming a pattern in said bone graft material corresponding to a desired shape of said bone graft, the pattern allowing for holes to be made along first and second spaced apart portions of the perimeter of the bone graft while the graft material is disposed within the interior; and

a cutting guide associated with said body, wherein said cutting guide facilitates cutting through said pattern in said bone graft material to form said desired shape of said bone graft while the graft material is disposed within the interior;

wherein at least one of said bone graft material contacting surfaces is deformable to facilitate holding said bone graft material when said bone graft material is clamped between said two hinged portions of said body of said instrument.

26. The instrument of claim 25 , wherein said at least one of said bone graft material contacting surfaces has protrusions.

27. The instrument of claim 25 , wherein said at least one of said bone graft material contacting surfaces is non-linearly configured to accommodate a cross-sectional shape of said bone graft material.