Abstract: A portable surgical wire inserting instrument comprising a housing defining a handle, a drive casing and a nose piece removably mounted to said drive casing. The housing handle holds a removable cassette in which is mounted a motor and a source of power electrically connected to the motor. A beveled gear extends from the cassette and is connected by a drive shaft to the motor. A wire housing tube mounted in the housing is provided with a chuck at one end adapted to grab and fixedly hold an inner chuck of a wire inserted in the wire holding tube. A beveled gear in the drive casing connects the beveled gear extending from the cassette to the wire holding tube with the gears being adapted to rotate the wire holding tube upon energization of the motor.