Orthopaedic cutting instrument and method

1. A method of cutting tissue at a surgical site comprising:

introducing a cutter into a surgical site having relatively hard tissues and relatively soft tissues, the cutter including a blade having a blade tip rotatable about a rotational axis, the blade tip spaced from the rotational axis by a radius;

driving the blade tip of the cutter through a rotational amplitude, such that a lineal displacement of the blade tip is equal to twice the product of the radius and the rotational amplitude, the lineal displacement less than a displacement that the relatively soft tissues can tolerate without being cut but more than the relatively hard tissues can tolerate without being cut, whereby the cutter is adapted to cut the relatively hard tissues without cutting the relatively soft tissues; and

manipulating the cutter within the surgical site to morselize relatively hard tissues.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cutter extends from a barrel having a barrel centerline, at least a portion of the barrel centerline coincident with the rotational axis of the blade tip.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cutter includes a plurality of blades, each of the blades having a respective blade tip, adjacent ones of the blade tips defining a blade tip spacing therebetween, the blade tip spacing less than the lineal displacement of the blade tip.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cutter includes a plurality of blades, each of the blades having a respective blade tip, adjacent ones of the blades defining an angular blade spacing therebetween, the angular blade spacing less than the rotational amplitude.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the angular blade spacing is about 8 degrees.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rotational amplitude is less than 360 degrees.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the rotational amplitude is about 10 degrees.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the cutter is mounted on a curved shaft and further wherein manipulating the cutter comprises moving the shaft from side to side and rotating the shaft to cause the cutter to sweep an area larger than the cutter diameter.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the cutter is mounted on an elongated shaft and the shaft includes a steerable portion, manipulating the cutter comprising steering the steerable portion to cause the cutter to change position relative to the shaft.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein driving the blade tip of the cutter comprises moving the cutter in an oscillating rotary motion.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

adjusting the rotational amplitude to adjust the cutting characteristics of the cutter.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

adjusting an oscillation frequency to adjust the cutting characteristics of the cutter.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein introducing a cutter into a surgical site comprises moving the cutter in a continuous rotary motion to form an access portal and driving the blade tip of the cutter comprises moving the cutter in an oscillating rotary motion.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein introducing a cutter into a surgical site comprises forming a portal through a femur from the lateral side of the femur to the hip joint.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein driving the cutter selectively removes the femoral head.