The cooled water - irrigation rate - small pilot drill-bit technique for reducing bone temperature. In a pilot study from bovine bone drill.

Abstract

Background: The high temperature after drilling could lead to nonunion and subsequent complications. There were previous studies evaluated the technique reducing bone temperature from drilling by the bone drill. However, those techniques are expensive and infeasible in general clinical practice. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of reducing bone temperature after drilling. 1. Between using cooled water and room temperature reducing bone temperature. 2. Between irrigating water in different rate; droplets and free flow rate. 3. Using pilot small size of drill bit then following with larger size might be effective to reduce the bone temperature after being drilled.
Materials and Methods: An experimental study by measure the highest temperature in the drilling of diaphysis of bovine cadaveric femur. Temperature measurement with laser thermometer. The results showed in the form of statistical mean and standard deviation. Along with reducing temperature comparison by 1. Using water at a temperature of 4 °C with 25 °C. 2. Using different irrigating rate of water, the flow of 20 drop/min. (represented droplet flow = 60 cc/hr.) compared to free flow rate. 3. Using drill, a small bit pilot run size (2.0mm.) prior to use the larger drill bit (2.5 or 3.2mm.)
Results: The mean average of the highest temperature during the bone drilling procedure of
each technique were reported as the following:
1. The using of cooled water and room temperature water to reduce the heat were 42.5
±2.46 °C and 49.8 ±2.58 °C respectively
2. The using of the flow rate of irrigating water and dropping water to reduce the bone
temperature were 39.4 ± 0.85 °C and 42.2 ±1.02 °C respectively
3. The using of the pilot small size of drill bit size 2.0 mm. following with the larger size
2.5 mm. and 3.2 mm. compared with not using the pilot drill bit were 41.5±0.6 °C, 42 ±0.97 °C,
49.8 ±2.5 °C respectively
Conclusions: Techniques for reducing the temperature from bone drill can use cold water, water flow rate or a small pilot drill. It may be effective reducing the temperature generated while drilling the bone. This could have positive effect on reducing the rate of bone death from heat that occurred.