A surgical sagittal saw assembly comprising: a housing; a motor disposed in the housing; a blade mount moveably mounted to the housing, the blade mount having a slot for receiving a sagittal saw blade, the saw blade having a width, the blade mount being connected to the motor by a drive link so that the blade mount oscillates in a sagittal plane; characterized in that: the blade mount is formed so that the slot is defined by: opposed top and bottom interior surfaces (160, 165, 166, 167, 168); and opposed interior side walls, wherein the interior side walls are shaped and positioned relative to each other so that at least one of the interior side walls has a first surface that is spaced from the surface of the opposed interior side wall to define a slot first section having a width greater than the width of the saw blade and a second surface that is tapered inwardly so as to have a section thereof that is spaced from the surface of the opposed interior side wall to define a slot second section having a width less than the width of the saw blade; and in that a retaining member extends from the blade mount into the slot for receiving the saw blade; and in that a clamping assembly is secured to the blade mount for urging the saw blade from the slot first section to the slot second section so that the saw blade is pressed against the at least one interior side wall tapered second surface. a housing; a motor disposed in the housing; a blade mount moveably mounted to the housing, the blade mount having a slot for receiving a sagittal saw blade, the saw blade having a width, the blade mount being connected to the motor by a drive link so that the blade mount oscillates in a sagittal plane; characterized in that: the blade mount is formed so that the slot is defined by: opposed top and bottom interior surfaces (160, 165, 166, 167, 168); and opposed interior side walls, wherein the interior side walls are shaped and positioned relative to each other so that at least one of the interior side walls has a first surface that is spaced from the surface of the opposed interior side wall to define a slot first section having a width greater than the width of the saw blade and a second surface that is tapered inwardly so as to have a section thereof that is spaced from the surface of the opposed interior side wall to define a slot second section having a width less than the width of the saw blade; and in that a retaining member extends from the blade mount into the slot for receiving the saw blade; and in that a clamping assembly is secured to the blade mount for urging the saw blade from the slot first section to the slot second section so that the saw blade is pressed against the at least one interior side wall tapered second surface. the blade mount is formed so that the slot is defined by: opposed top and bottom interior surfaces (160, 165, 166, 167, 168); and opposed interior side walls, wherein the interior side walls are shaped and positioned relative to each other so that at least one of the interior side walls has a first surface that is spaced from the surface of the opposed interior side wall to define a slot first section having a width greater than the width of the saw blade and a second surface that is tapered inwardly so as to have a section thereof that is spaced from the surface of the opposed interior side wall to define a slot second section having a width less than the width of the saw blade; and in that a retaining member extends from the blade mount into the slot for receiving the saw blade; and in that a clamping assembly is secured to the blade mount for urging the saw blade from the slot first section to the slot second section so that the saw blade is pressed against the at least one interior side wall tapered second surface.