Patent ID: 7179262

Claim:
A system for machining the space between bones of a joint, comprising: a) a milling tool, comprising: (1) a power source attachment located at a distal end of the milling tool; (2) a longitudinally extending barrel having first and second transverse guide blocks adapted to interact with a machining fixture to limit the longitudinal position and rotational or translational movement of the milling tool; and (3) a milling head located at the proximal end of the milling tool, adapted for at least partial insertion into the space between bones of a joint and adapted to contact the bones of the joint upon rotation about a pivot point or translation, the milling head comprising: (i) a cutting head drive adapted to rotate a cutting head around an axis substantially perpendicular to the axis of the longitudinally extending barrel; and (ii) a cutting blade disposed on the cutting head, comprising a base disk, a radially extending cutting flute, and at least one opening in the base disk adapted to allow cooling fluids to contact the bone and remove debris.