A cutting tool to be utilized in the resection or removal of bone tissue from patients includes a handle that tensions a wire or cable-like cutting member with a small diameter between at least two features on the handle to present a thin cutting profile. The design of the cutting tool includes features that protect against soft tissue damage and minimize the incision size necessary to utilize the tool. Some embodiments feature details of the cutting tool that interface with a surgical cutting guide system. Other embodiments describe a cutting tool with a selectively changeable length of the cutting profile of the wire cutting member. In one embodiment, the wire cutting member of the cutting tool is energized by mechanical energy in the form of a unidirectional rotation of the cutting member, a mechanical vibration of the cutting member, or an oscillating movement of the wire cutting member.
