Patent ID: 8282638

Claim:
An instrument assembly for bone drilling comprising: a soft tissue sleeve defining an internal channel; a hollow knob coupled to the sleeve, the knob threadably movable relative to the sleeve, the knob including an internal threaded portion; a driver for performing a bone drilling operation at a drill site, the driver having a shaft including a portion received in the internal channel and having helical irrigation grooves substantially along its entire length; and a hollow irrigation cap selectively and removably coupled to the sleeve, the irrigation cap having an axial bore aligned with the internal channel of the sleeve and receiving the driver shaft through the axial bore, the irrigation cap including an externally threaded portion threadably coupled to an internal threaded portion of the sleeve, the irrigation cap having a delivery port communicating with the axial bore, the irrigation cap connectable to an irrigation source for delivering irrigation to the internal channel, the port in fluid communication with the internal channel and with the irrigation grooves of the driver for providing irrigation to the drill site.