Comparative study of conventional and ultrasonically-assisted bone drilling

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic Surgery
• Biomaterials Engineering
• Surgical Technology

Background:

• Bone drilling is fundamental in orthopaedics and dentistry for fracture repair and reconstruction.
• Understanding drill-bone interaction mechanics is crucial for mitigating surgical challenges and complications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the advantages of ultrasonically-assisted drilling (UAD) for orthopaedic applications.
• To compare UAD with conventional drilling (CD) in terms of mechanical performance and bone integrity.

Main Methods:

• High-speed filming of the drilling zone to analyze bone-drilling mechanics.
• Quantification of thrust force and surface roughness during drilling.
• Assessment of bone cracking adjacent to the drilled hole with and without ultrasonic assistance.

Main Results:

• Ultrasonically-assisted drilling (UAD) produced smaller bone chips, improving evacuation compared to conventional drilling (CD).
• UAD demonstrated reduced drilling forces and enhanced surface roughness when drilling along the radial and longitudinal bone axes.
• Holes created by UAD were free from cracks, potentially improving the stability of fixation devices.

Conclusions:

• Ultrasonically-assisted drilling (UAD) shows promise as a viable alternative to conventional drilling (CD) in orthopaedic procedures.
• The crack-free holes produced by UAD may lead to better long-term fixation and patient outcomes.