Patent ID: 7641656

Claim:
A bone tapping kit for cutting an internal thread in bone defining a bore, the kit comprising: a guide component adapted to overlie the bone and having a threaded aperture in alignment with the bore; and a tap comprising a first portion having a first diameter and a second portion having a second diameter, the second diameter being smaller than the first diameter, the first portion having an external thread adapted to threadingly engage the threaded aperture of the guide component and the second portion having a helical cutting edge adapted to be received within the bore and cut the internal thread, the guide component and the tap being relatively dimensioned such that upon introduction of the tap into the threaded aperture with the second portion towards the bone, the first portion of the tap threadingly engages the threaded aperture before the helical cutting edge engages the bone when the guide component overlies the bone and the tap is rotated relative to the guide component.