Patent ID: 8236001

Claim:
An instrument for at least one of the preparation and machining of a femoral head which is formed at a neck of a femur, the instrument comprising: probing forceps including two forcep levers and two probing jaws, each jaw associated with a respective one of the forcep levers, the forcep levers connected to one another at a fulcrum, the instrument having a manipulation side on a first side of the fulcrum and a working side on a second, opposite side of the fulcrum from the manipulation side, the probing jaws arranged on the working side of the instrument; a guide element having a centering axis, the guide element coupled to the probing forceps at a first coupling point and at a second coupling point, the first and second coupling points mutually spaced apart in the direction of the centering axis such that the centering axis is always disposed in a central plane of the probing forceps independently of an opening angle of the probing forceps, the central plane including the fulcrum; at least one pair of guide levers of equal length, the guide levers on the manipulation side of the instrument and arranged symmetrically to the central plane, the guide levers having first ends respectively rotatably connected to a pair of actuation portions of the forcep levers on the manipulation side of the instrument and second ends rotatably connected to one another via a pin at the second coupling point, the pin received within an elongate hole formed in the guide element; and the actuation portions extending beyond the guide levers in a direction away from the fulcrum, the actuation portions manually operable to move the forcep levers about the fulcrum.