INVESTIGATION INTO BONE DRILLING AND THERMAL BONE NECROSIS

This paper studies the problem and presents the results of different possibilities of avoiding the occurrence of thermal bone necrosis. In fact, in case of fracture of human bones, the best way to better and faster knitting is when a traumatologist fixes the fractured bone ends by drilling and setting the immobilization plates by screws. Because of the drilling process, the surrounding bone tissue is heated and if the temperature around the drilled bone hole exceeds the critical limit, this may result in thermal necrosis, which means the irreversible death of the bone cells exposed to that high temperature. The paper researches the possibilities of decreasing the value of axial force and temperature of bone drilling process with a proper selection of influencing parameters in drilling. Also, the presents the obtained results of the influence of drill type geometry on the temperature of bone drilling and possibilities of high speed drilling process in thermal bone necrosis avoidance. All researches have been performed at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, University of Zagreb.