Patent ID: 8403939

Claim:
A drill guide system for forming a hole along a desired trajectory in the bone of a surgical patient, the drill guide system comprising: a drill bit defining a drill bit axis; and a drill guide comprising a frame having a proximal arm and a distal arm fixedly spaced apart, a first guide portion extending from the proximal arm and including a first channel defining a first guide axis, and a pointer projecting proximally from the distal arm and aligned with the first guide axis; wherein the drill bit is transversely insertable into the first channel into an operational position in which the drill bit is constrained to translate only along the first guide axis; wherein the proximal arm and the first guide axis define a pivot plane, and the drill bit is transversely insertable into the operational position by first positioning the drill bit into an intermediate position at which the first guide axis and the drill bit axis define a side-loading angle, and then pivoting the drill guide in the pivot plane until the drill bit is in the operational position.