Rongeur

A rongeur is heavy-duty surgical instrument with a sharp-edged, scoop-shaped tip, used for gouging out bone.

[1] A rongeur can be used to open a window in bone, often in the skull, in order to access tissue underneath.

[2] A rongeur is used in oral maxillofacial surgery to remove bony fragments or soft tissue.

It is also used in hand surgery to cut traumatic amputated bone to allow skin to be closed over the defect.

[citation needed] A rongeur can also be used in cadaver dissection lab to break through ribs when removing the anterior chest wall.