Patent ID: 8597316

Claim:
A cutting accessory for use with a powered surgical handpiece, said accessory including: an elongated shaft having opposed proximal and distal ends and a longitudinal axis that extends between the ends; a tissue working member attached to the distal end of said shaft; and a plurality of retention features formed in said shaft distal to the proximal end, each said retention feature being configured to engage with a coupling member integral with the power surgical tool to which said cutting accessory is attached so that the engagement of the coupling member with the retention feature holds said shaft to the tool and said retention features being arranged in columns that extend longitudinally along said shaft, each column including a plurality of longitudinally aligned retention features, the columns of retention features being angularly spaced from each other around said shaft, and each retention feature having a lateral axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said shaft wherein: in each column of retention features the lateral axes of adjacent retention features are longitudinally spaced apart a common distance along said shaft, the common distance being the same for each column of retention features; and the angularly adjacent columns of retention features are longitudinally spaced along said shaft so that the lateral axes of two said retention features in angularly adjacent columns of retention features that are closest to each other on said shaft are longitudinally offset from each other along said shaft and are longitudinally offset from each other a distance less than the common distance between the lateral axes of the longitudinally adjacent retention features that are in the same column of retention features.