Surgical instrument

1. 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.

2. The instrument in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the second lever arm comprises a catch acting in conjunction with the proximal end of the cutting element.

3. The instrument in accordance with claim 1 , wherein a free end of the second lever arm engages between a stop acting in the distal direction and arranged on the proximal side of a third coupling element and a stop acting in the proximal direction and arranged on the distal side of the third coupling element.

4. The instrument in accordance with claim 1 , wherein a free end of the second lever arm comes into contact with the third coupling element on the distal side acting in the proximal direction and on the proximal side acting in the distal direction.

5. The instrument in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the first and second lever arms of the angle lever are of different lengths.

6. The instrument in accordance with claim 5 , wherein a ratio of the length of the first lever arm to the length of the second lever arm is at least 2:1.

7. The instrument in accordance with claim 1 , wherein a free end of a piston of the at least one fluid cylinder is connected in an articulated manner with the first lever arm.

8. 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 comprises at least one fluid cylinder,

the driving device comprises a casing, a first section of the casing is in the form of a grip, a second section of the casing is designed to hold the proximal end of the shaft and the driving unit is arranged in the first section of the casing, and

the second coupling element comprises two holding projections projecting from the second section of the casing in the direction of the shaft.

9. 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 comprises at least one fluid cylinder,

the driving device comprises a casing, a first section of the casing is in the form of a grip, a second section of the casing is designed to hold the proximal end of the shaft, and the driving unit is arranged in the first section of the casing, and

the second section of the casing comprises a holding area into which the proximal end of the shaft can be inserted and from which the distal end of the shaft in an inserted position, is immovably held in the longitudinal direction, it projects in the distal direction from the casing, the holding area has an insertion opening for inserting the proximal end of the shaft in an insertion direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and a cover for closing the insertion opening and securing the shaft in the holding area is provided.

10. The instrument in accordance with claim 9 , wherein the cover on the casing is displaceable and can be displaced in the proximal direction to open the insertion opening.

11. The instrument in accordance with claim 10 , characterised wherein the cover on the casing can be pivoted about a pivoting axis.

12. The instrument in accordance with claim 11 , wherein the pivoting axis is parallel or perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

13. 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 acting in conjunction with a first coupling element arranged at the proximal end of the shaft, and

with a cover open, at least one of an energy or operating agent supply to the driving unit is interrupted.

14. 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, and

on the driving device a securing element corresponding to an opening and a recess is arranged movably perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction and in a securing position enters the recess and in a releasing position clears the recess.

15. The instrument in accordance with claim 14 , wherein the securing element is held spring-loaded in the releasing position on the first section of a casing adjacent to the second coupling element.