Patent ID: 7842038

Claim:
A method for forming an opening in bone comprising: providing a surgical instrument comprising: an outer sleeve having a distal end, a proximal end, a passage therethrough, and a mid-longitudinal axis; a middle sleeve having a distal end, a proximal end, a passage therethrough, and a mid-longitudinal axis, the middle sleeve being sized and configured to be inserted into the passage of the outer sleeve; a trocar having a distal end, a proximal end, and a mid-longitudinal axis, the trocar being sized and configured to be inserted into the passage of the middle sleeve; placing the middle sleeve into the outer sleeve with at least a portion of the distal end of the middle sleeve extending beyond the distal end of the outer sleeve; placing the trocar into the middle sleeve with at least a portion of the distal end of the trocar extending beyond the distal end of the middle sleeve and the outer sleeve; inserting the surgical instrument with the trocar, the middle sleeve, and the outer sleeve in fixed relationship to insert the distal end of the trocar into the bone; advancing into the bone the surgical instrument with the trocar, the middle sleeve, and the outer sleeve in fixed relationship to a predetermined depth in the bone to form an opening into the bone; removing the trocar from the middle sleeve with the middle sleeve and outer sleeve in fixed relationship remaining in the bone; further advancing into the bone the surgical instrument with the middle sleeve and outer sleeve in fixed relationship to enlarge the opening being formed into the bone, the middle sleeve being inserted into the bone to approximately the same predetermined depth of the trocar; removing the middle sleeve from the outer sleeve with the outer sleeve remaining in the bone; and further advancing into the bone the surgical instrument to enlarge the opening being formed into the bone, the outer sleeve being inserted into the bone to approximately the same predetermined depth of the trocar.