Patent ID: 7476226

Claim:
A surgical instrument having a longitudinal axis for creating a cavity in bone, comprising: a handle; a first member having proximal and distal ends, the proximal end of the first member fixed to the handle, and the first member having a groove running at least part of a length between the proximal and distal ends of the first member; a second member having proximal and distal ends and slidably engaged within the groove of the first member; a tip having proximal and distal ends for creating a cavity in bone, the tip being fastened to the distal end of the first member by an articulating hinge; and a collar located between the handle and the tip, and positioned around at least a portion of the first and second members, the collar having an internal surface configured to permit rotation of the collar about the first and second members; wherein, as the collar is rotated in a first direction, the internal surface of the collar pushes the second member toward the distal end of the first member causing the tip to articulate, and wherein the hinge is operatively associated with the second member to provide a first mode allowing the tip to articulate freely between an initial position and a fully deployed position, a second mode that substantially immobilizes the tip in the fully deployed position, and a third mode wherein the second member blocks the tip from articulating freely between the initial position and the fully deployed position.