How to adapt an ordinary drilling machine for orthopaedic surgery

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic Surgery
• Biomedical Engineering
• Surgical Instrumentation

Background:

• Standard drilling machines operate at high speeds (> 2800 r/min).
• High rotational speeds in bone drilling generate significant friction and heat.
• Excessive friction and heat can lead to increased soft tissue damage and compromised bone healing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a method for converting conventional drilling machines into specialized orthopaedic drilling machines.
• To highlight the benefits of low rotational speeds in reducing intraoperative complications.
• To provide a cost-effective solution for obtaining orthopaedic-specific drilling capabilities.

Main Methods:

• Modification of standard drilling machines to achieve lower rotational speeds (<= 750 r/min).
• Comparative analysis of drilling parameters between modified and standard machines.
• Evaluation of friction and tissue damage potential at different rotational speeds.

Main Results:

• The modified orthopaedic drilling machine operates at a maximum of 750 revolutions per minute (r/min).
• Low r/min significantly reduces friction during bone drilling.
• Reduced friction correlates with minimized soft tissue damage compared to high-speed drilling.

Conclusions:

• Converting standard drills to low-speed orthopaedic drilling machines is feasible.
• Low rotational speed drilling enhances surgical safety by minimizing tissue trauma.
• This conversion offers a practical approach to improving bone drilling techniques in orthopaedics.