Patent ID: 8206393

Claim:
A surgical instrument for removing bone, cartilage or similar material with a shaft that extends in a longitudinal direction, which at its distal end carries a cutting plate, inclined perpendicularly or relative to the longitudinal direction, with a cutting element which is movably mounted on the shaft, said cutting element supporting at its distal end a blade pointing in the direction of the cutting plate and movable toward the cutting plate in order to cut tissue, wherein: a driving device positively connectable in a detachable manner with the shaft and the cutting element and having a drive unit for generating a driving force in a drive force direction is provided and includes a second coupling element acting in conjunction with a first coupling element arranged at the proximal end of the shaft, the drive unit is a fluid-operated drive unit, the drive force direction is not parallel to the longitudinal direction and the drive unit has a force deflecting unit for deflecting the drive forces acting in the drive force direction to an operating force acting in a drive direction on the cutting element, the force deflecting unit comprises an angle lever, the angle lever comprising a first and a second, angled relative to the first, lever arm, and the angle lever in the transition area between the two lever arms is pivotable on the part of the driving device fixed relative to the shaft.