A surgical apparatus comprising: a steerable member that is bendable and comprises a plurality of bending segments, each bending segment comprising at least a lumen and at least an intermediate joint that is arranged along a longitudinal axis direction of each bending segment and has a first link portion and an opposing second link portion wherein two off-axis hinge joints are formed therebetween, wherein each hinge joint comprises: a pair of first interfacing halves (815, 815') extending from the first link portion toward the second link portion, each first interfacing half comprising a first first engagement surface and a second first engagement surface disposed side by side, each of the first and second first engagement surfaces extending along a portion of a round path; and a corresponding pair of second interfacing halves (816, 816'), each second interface half comprising a first second engagement surface and a second second engagement surface disposed side by side and having a complementary surface to the corresponding first engagement surface, wherein the first link and second link are pivotable with respect to one another from a position wherein the first first engagement surface is in contact with the first second engagement surface simultaneously with the second first engagement surface being in contact with the second second engagement surface to a position wherein the first first engagement surface remains in contact with the first second engagement surface while the second first engagement surface is spaced from the second second engagement surface and to a position wherein the second first engagement surface remains in contact with the second second engagement surface while the first first engagement surface is spaced from the first second engagement surface, wherein the pair of first interfacing halves and the pair of second interfacing halves thereby form two different hinge axes offset from the longitudinal axis; a plurality of bending actuation wires disposed through the lumen to bend the steerable member. a pair of first interfacing halves (815, 815') extending from the first link portion toward the second link portion, each first interfacing half comprising a first first engagement surface and a second first engagement surface disposed side by side, each of the first and second first engagement surfaces extending along a portion of a round path; and a corresponding pair of second interfacing halves (816, 816'), each second interface half comprising a first second engagement surface and a second second engagement surface disposed side by side and having a complementary surface to the corresponding first engagement surface, wherein the first link and second link are pivotable with respect to one another from a position wherein the first first engagement surface is in contact with the first second engagement surface simultaneously with the second first engagement surface being in contact with the second second engagement surface to a position wherein the first first engagement surface remains in contact with the first second engagement surface while the second first engagement surface is spaced from the second second engagement surface and to a position wherein the second first engagement surface remains in contact with the second second engagement surface while the first first engagement surface is spaced from the first second engagement surface, wherein the pair of first interfacing halves and the pair of second interfacing halves thereby form two different hinge axes offset from the longitudinal axis; a plurality of bending actuation wires disposed through the lumen to bend the steerable member.