Optimism sails forth upon a sea of ebullient confidence. Surely, the tiny vestibule, just behind the guillotine cutting edge of the upper shaft of a Kerrison rongeur, will be large enough to hold all of the bone material about to be excised.

Of course, that pea-sized, mini amphitheater invariably fills with bone chips in less than a New York second, and bone's propensity to imbed itself in the chamber can be quite a distraction to the surgeon trying to complete his appointed tasks. Buxton may not have a magic bullet to prevent bone compression, but it does offer a stainless plunger. This steel rod resides mostly within the moving upper shaft, but it is actually anchored to the non-moving lower half. In the fully open position, it protrudes just slightly, but during the compression stroke it remains fixed to the lower shaft as the upper segment advances on the surgical site. Upon release of the spring-loaded handle, the plunger extirpates the offending material with a powerful vengeance.

Talking Back, Vol. 2, No. 3