Heat Generation During Bone Drilling: A Comparison Between Industrial and Orthopaedic Drill Bits

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Orthopedic Surgery
• Surgical Instrumentation

Background:

• Cortical bone drilling is essential for screw placement in various surgical procedures.
• Excessive heat generated during drilling can lead to osteonecrosis, compromising implant stability.
• Orthopedic drill bits are significantly more expensive than industrial alternatives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the heat generated by industrial and orthopedic drill bits during cortical bone drilling.
• To evaluate if drill bit performance degrades after multiple uses.

Main Methods:

• Four orthopedic and one industrial 4.0 mm drill bit were used.
• Each bit type was drilled into porcine femoral cortices 20 times.
• Bone temperature was measured using thermocouple transducers and analyzed with analysis of covariance.

Main Results:

• The industrial drill bit generated significantly less heat (2.8 ± 0.29°C) compared to orthopedic bits (P < 0.0001).
• No significant difference in heat generation was observed between the first and last five drilling cycles for any bit type.
• Drill bit performance was maintained after 20 drilling cycles.

Conclusions:

• Industrial drill bits demonstrate superior thermal performance in cortical bone drilling.
• Drill bit design differences may influence cutting efficiency.
• Further research into the cost-effectiveness and reusability of industrial drill bits in orthopedic surgery is warranted.