Methodical Approach for Determining the Length of Drill Channels in Osteosynthesis

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic surgery
• Biomedical engineering
• Surgical instrumentation

Background:

• Bicortical screw fixation is essential for osteosynthesis.
• Accurate screw length selection (1-mm increments) prevents tissue damage and ensures fixation stability.
• Current methods for determining drill channel length intraoperatively are imprecise, leading to errors and complications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel method for precise intraoperative drill channel length measurement.
• To improve screw selection accuracy in osteosynthesis procedures.
• To minimize complications associated with incorrect screw length selection.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a sensory drive train to record and evaluate mechanical drilling parameters.
• Integration of a precise drill channel length measurement technique using stimulated linear oscillation.
• Monitoring the amplitude of drill oscillation to detect the start of the drilling process.
• Validation using laboratory tests on pig bone and a drilling machine test bench.

Main Results:

• The novel method reliably determines drill channel length, overcoming limitations of previous concepts.
• Laboratory tests achieved a measurement uncertainty of 0.3 mm.
• This precision allows for reliable selection of screws with 1-mm step widths.

Conclusions:

• The developed sensory drill system enables accurate intraoperative determination of drill channel length.
• This advancement significantly improves the reliability of screw selection in osteosynthesis.
• The method has the potential to reduce surgical complications and enhance fracture healing outcomes.