Patent ID: 8591514

Claim:
A method of retrograde drilling comprising: providing a retrograde cutter including an outer tube and an inner tube housed by said outer tube, a blade at distal ends of said outer and inner tubes, the blade being configured to rotate from a first position generally aligned with a longitudinal axis of said retrograde cutter to a second, flip position which is not aligned with said longitudinal axis; and a mechanism connecting said blade to said distal ends of both said outer and inner tubes, wherein said mechanism comprises a pin and a slot that allow conversion of linear movement of the inner tube into rotational movement of the blade to rotate said blade to said second, flip position upon linear movement of the inner tube in relation to the outer tube, the pin sliding in the slot to permit rotation of the blade, wherein the pin and slot mechanism locks the blade on the outer tube when the blade is in the second, flip position; inserting said blade into a target area; advancing said inner tube in relation to the outer tube in a direction parallel to said longitudinal axis, such that said mechanism articulates said blade from said first position to said second, flip position which is not aligned with said longitudinal axis and wherein the blade is articulated to an angle of about 90 degrees to the longitudinal axis of the retrograde cutter when the blade is in the second, flip position and wherein in the second, flip position, the blade faces a proximal end of the retrograde cutter for retrograde drilling of a socket when the blade is locked in the second, flip position; and drilling a socket in a retrograde manner using said blade in said second, flip position.