Orthopaedic gage, kit and associated method

1. A depth gage for use with a drill in orthopaedics comprising a body, said body defining first and second ends opposed to each other and an inner periphery defining a longitudinal aperture therethrough for slidably receiving the drill, the longitudinal aperture defining a longitudinal axis thereof, said body comprising,

a first end portion comprising an arcuate cross-sectional periphery about the longitudinal axis defining a first lateral opening to the longitudinal aperture, the first end portion comprising a radially extending face facing in a first lateral direction;

a second end portion longitudinally staggered relative the first end portion, the second end portion comprising an arcuate cross-sectional periphery about the longitudinal axis defining a second lateral opening to the longitudinal aperture, the second end portion comprising a radially extending face facing in a second lateral direction, the first and second lateral directions being opposite one another

said body being adapted to permit the drill to be installed in the longitudinal aperture in a first position having a direction non-coincident with the longitudinal axis and wherein the drill can be shifted to a second position substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis and the drill can be rotated and advanced longitudinally in the aperture.

2. The depth gage as in claim l wherein at least a portion of the first arcuate periphery extends an angle from about 185 degrees to about 195 degrees about the longitudinal axis of the longitudinal aperture.

3. The depth gage as in claim 1 wherein said body is adapted to permit the drill to be positioned into the longitudinal opening in a first direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the longitudinal opening and then to permit the drill to be rotated into position in the longitudinal aperture.

4. The depth gage as in claim 1 , further comprising a middle portion of said body having portion of the cross section thereof along a plane perpendicular to the, longitudinal axis of the aperture defining a periphery for tangential contact with the drill.

5. The depth gage as in claim 1 , wherein the arcuate periphery of at least one said first end portion and said second end portion extends an angle greater than about 185 degrees about the longitudinal axis of the longitudinal aperture.

6. The depth gage as in claim 1 , wherein the first and second faces are generally co-planar.

7. The depth gage as in claim 1 , wherein the first and second end portions are longitudinally spaced from one another.