Abstract: A minimally invasive reaming assembly for creating an entry portal into the canal of a bone and for providing a working channel in which to ream the canal of a bone. The assembly includes a sleeve, a housing and an inner reamer. The sleeve is an elongated cylindrically-shaped hollow sleeve that has a proximal and a distal end, with the distal end having a plurality of cutting blades. The housing is attached to the sleeve and is generally cylindrical in shape and it has a top portion, a bottom portion and a through bore. The top portion includes a releaseable locking mechanism for engaging the inner reamer within the housing. The inner reamer has an elongated cannulated body and proximal and distal ends. The distal end has a rotatable reaming head and the proximal end has a drill shaft and a connector for connection to a drill. A portion of the body includes an annular collar with a tab for engaging a notch in the housing.

Abstract: A connecting element having end regions (22, 23) joined by an intermediate by an intermediate region (26) is constructed of a plurality of fibre filaments extending longitudinally and continuously throughout its length. The fibers in the end regions are embedded in a thermo-setting resin matrix material and the fibres in the intermediate region are embedded in a resilient matrix material thereby permitting relative resilient torsional movement of the end regions about a longitudinal axis. Such a connecting element is particularly suited for use in a helicopter rotor and several embodiments are described and illustrated. In all embodiments the torsional flexibility of intermediate region (26) provides for blade feathering movements and in a preferred embodiment the inner end region (22) is constructed so as to be resiliently flexible in a blade flap plane and the outer end region (23) is constructed so as to be equally resiliently flexible in the blade flap and lead/lag planes.