Importance

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Abstract

A curved bore hole drilling apparatus and method utilizing two power driven drill shafts equipped with flexible shaft sections on the distal ends thereof with each flexible shaft section having a cutting tip. A semicircular channel shaped drill guide loosely engages each flexible shaft end section and is caused to rotate through an approximate 90.degree. angle as the cutting tips are advanced. The drill guides are pivotally mounted for rotation in substantially the same plane end, when rotated through an approximate 90.degree. angle so as to meet, the cutting tips of the associated rotating flexible drill bits form a curved semicircular bore hole which may extend through 180.degree.. The flexible shaft sections and guides are then backed out of the bore and the bore may be used for attachment of a tie such as a wire or a suture which is passed through the bore. The drilling shafts and flexible shaft sections are mounted in parallel relation within a housing and are advanced toward the surface to be bored in a rectilinear direction normal to the surface to be bored. In a second embodiment the parallel flexible shaft sections are pulled through their arcuate paths by means of the channel shaped drill guides which are rotated by means of worm and pinion drives under control of the operator. Each flexible shaft section has a slotted connection with its associated power driven shaft and is advance by the drill guides against spring pressure. As the drill guides are backed out of the bore the flexible shaft sections are returned under spring pressure. Still another embodiment utilizes a channel shaped drill guide of approximately 180.degree. circumference which is caused to rotate through 180.degree. to form the bore hole into and out of the bone surface. In this embodiment, the drill and guide housing is located within an anchoring sleeve which resists the unbalanced drilling forces tending to laterally shift the drill shaft housing. The use of 180.degree. arcuate drill guide and the anchoring sleeve enable the bore hole to be formed in a joint cavity using arthroscopic surgical techniques.

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First Claim