McIndoes Nasal Chisel | Moon-Shaped Curved Edge | 11mm 13mm 15mm

What the McIndoes nasal chisel is

The McIndoes nasal chisel shaves and contours the bony ridge of the nose in rhinoplasty and nasal reconstruction. Its particular job is the osteocartilaginous hump, where bone and cartilage meet, which is where a ridge is most often both convex and uneven at once.

The edge is a moon shaped curve rather than a flat line. Set across a convex ridge, the two ends of the curve find the bone first and the middle stands clear, so the blade straddles the ridge and takes it down evenly instead of biting one shoulder and tipping off. On a flat blade the surgeon holds that line by hand; on this one the geometry holds it.

A note on the name. The surgeon was Sir Archibald McIndoe, so the correct spelling is McIndoe without an s, and that is the form Google uses even when you search the plural. Our page has carried the plural for years and the web address cannot change without breaking links, so both spellings lead here. Adas Instruments makes it in 11mm, 13mm and 15mm.

Key design features of the moon shaped lateral nasal chisel

The moon shaped curved edge

A shallow concave arc across the width of the blade. The point of it on a ridge is self centering: a curve laid across a convex surface is held there by the surface, and it cannot walk sideways off the top of the ridge the way a straight edge can when the mallet lands. What the surgeon gets back is a ridge reduced level rather than a ridge reduced on one side.

Three widths, and they are the lateral osteotomy widths

11mm, 13mm and 15mm. These are wide blades by the standards of this family, and that is deliberate: they are the widths at which a lateral cut is made and at which a broad nasal ridge can be crossed in one pass. A narrower blade on a broad ridge leaves a staircase.

A straight shaft on a single bevel

The shaft runs straight, so the force of a mallet tap travels in the line the blade is pointing. The blade is ground on one face only, which gives it a flat reference surface: laid on the plane that is staying, it keeps the cut parallel to it instead of letting it dive in.

A flat handle end, and one piece throughout

The far end of the handle is a true flat face, so a mallet lands square and the whole tap goes forward into the blade. There is no joint, screw or moving part on the instrument, so nothing works loose and there is nowhere for tissue or cleaning solution to sit.

Which McIndoes nasal chisel width to order

Three widths, ordered per instrument rather than supplied as a set. The widths below are our own product record, and the table also states what is not on file for this item.

If one width is being bought, the 13mm is the middle of the range and the one that covers the most ground. A practice doing regular profile work carries 11mm and 15mm as well, because the difference between a narrow and a broad nasal ridge is exactly the difference between those two blades.

Where the McIndoes nasal chisel is used

Every row is a nasal or facial procedure. That needs saying out loud on this page, because Google own question box for this instrument returned four questions and not one was about it: two about workshop chisels, one about dental chisels, one about orthopedic surgery.

In all of these the soft tissue is lifted first and the chisel is advanced by short mallet taps. The moon shaped edge is the reason this pattern is picked for a ridge rather than for a flat surface.

What it cuts, and what it has to leave alone

A chisel on the nasal ridge is judged by the profile it leaves, and the profile is the thing the patient will look at in a mirror for the rest of their life. What the blade avoids matters as much as what it removes.

The fourth row is the honest limit. This pattern carries no guard, so the tissue beside the cut is protected by lifting it clear first and by how the blade is held, not by the instrument. Where the edge has to work immediately against tissue that must stay, a guarded chisel is the right tool.

How it compares with the rest of the nasal chisel family

Five nasal chisels sit beside each other in this range and they are separated by the SHAPE OF THE EDGE and by whether the blade is guarded. This one and the Walter are the two curved patterns, and the widths are what tell them apart.

Between the two curved chisels: this one is made at 11mm, 13mm and 15mm, which are ridge and lateral widths, so it is the instrument for a defined convex ridge. The Walter is made at 3mm, 5mm and 12mm for detail work and for sweeping the vault. Most trays carry one of each.

McIndoes nasal chisel materials and finish

The chisel is ground from high quality medical grade stainless steel, hardened through the blade so the curve keeps its arc through resharpening, and left softer along the shaft so an off square tap sets no bend. On a wide blade a bent shaft shows up at once as a cut that runs off line. The steel itself is made to a German specification.

The finish is satin rather than mirror bright. A polished blade under a headlamp throws light back up the nostril and satin scatters it. Satin also shows bone dust plainly, which is what the instrument is checked for between passes.

Caring for a McIndoes nasal chisel

Rinse the blade under cool running water as soon as the case is finished, and pay attention to the inside of the curve, which holds bone dust the way a spoon holds water.

Ultrasonic clean in a neutral pH enzymatic solution, rinse in deionized water, then dry fully before pouching. Tap water dried on steel is the ordinary cause of pitting.

Autoclave at 134 degrees Celsius. Store with the edge guarded and clear of other blades. On a 15mm moon shaped edge the two horns of the curve are the thinnest points on the instrument, and the first to chip against another blade in a tray.

Ordering a McIndoes nasal chisel, and wholesale

The McIndoes nasal chisel is supplied as a single instrument, item code AM-11.13, in an 11mm, 13mm or 15mm width. Say which widths you want. It is ground and finished in our own workshop, so a set can be made with the handle pattern and finish matching the rest of the nasal chisels on a tray.

Wholesale and distributor pricing is available on quantity, and larger orders can carry a laser marked hospital or practice reference at no separate tooling charge. Send the quantity and the marking text and we will quote both.

Item code AM-11.13. Every instrument carries a three year replacement warranty against manufacturing defects. Stock items ship from our own workshop. Backorder items take 10 to 12 working days to make. Production is controlled under an ISO 13485 quality management system.

Frequently asked questions

What is a McIndoes nasal chisel used for

It shaves and contours the bony ridge of the nose in rhinoplasty and nasal reconstruction, and it is used in particular on the osteocartilaginous hump where bone and cartilage meet. The moon shaped edge straddles a convex ridge so the reduction comes out level.

Is it spelled McIndoe or McIndoes

The surgeon was Sir Archibald McIndoe, so McIndoe without an s is correct, and that is the spelling you will see in most catalogues and the one Google writes. This page has carried the plural in its web address for years, and changing a web address breaks every link pointing at it, so the address stays as it is. Both spellings bring you to the same instrument.

What is the advantage of the McIndoes moon shaped curved edge

It self centers on a ridge. A concave arc laid across a convex surface is held by that surface, so the blade stays on top of the ridge when the mallet lands instead of slipping down one side of it. A flat edge on the same ridge has to be held in line by hand.

Which width is used for a lateral osteotomy

The three widths here, 11mm, 13mm and 15mm, are in the range a lateral cut is made at, and the choice is the width of the ridge in front of you rather than a rule. 11mm for a narrow nasal ridge, 15mm where the ridge is broad and you want it crossed in one pass.

What is the purpose of a chisel in orthopedic surgery

In orthopedics a bone chisel is used to cut, split or shape bone in joint replacement, fracture work and bone grafting, usually on far heavier bone than the nose. The instruments are built to match: thicker blades, longer shafts, heavier handles. This is a nasal chisel and it is not intended for orthopedic bone.

Related products and categories

• Braithwaite nasal chisel
• Silver cartilage chisel
• Sheehan nasal chisel

Browse the full range of osteotomes, chisels and gouges, or see the wider set of rhinoplasty instruments this instrument belongs to.