Abstract: A bone saw including a flexible, rectangular saw blade having a central longitudinal axis and a cutting edge at a distal tip, and a shaft. The shaft has a central longitudinal axis, and a blade passage within the shaft that houses the saw blade, where the central longitudinal axis of the saw blade, of the shaft, and of the blade passage, are parallel. Further included is a blade opening located through a distal end of the shaft and of the blade passage, the blade opening being perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft. Also, a curved abutment can exist within the blade passage, aligning the saw blade with the blade opening. Distally translating the saw blade within the blade passage can cause the saw blade to conform to the curved abutment and exit the blade opening with the cutting edge essentially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft.

Abstract: An implant for expanding a spinal canal having an upper portion, a lower portion, and an inner member. The inner member communicates with a swivelable coupling located at each end of the inner member within the implant. Each swivelable coupling also interacts with a respective one of the upper and lower portion, within an inner bore thereof. Accordingly, movement of the inner member relative to one or both of the upper and the lower portions, via one or both swivelable couplings, translates the upper portion away from the lower portion, about a vertebral cut, to widen the vertebral cut and expand the spinal canal. The swivelable action of the couplings during translation allows angulation of the inner member, relative to a longitudinal axis of the implant, to accommodate a natural lateral shift occurring during a widening of a vertebral cut.