Thread: Miniature Titanium Orthopedic Bone Screws For Surgery

For that price I reckon I'd find something in the shed that would do.

The screw was comparatively cheap. He laid a little gore-tex ''tent'' over the screw to stop the jaw bone growing over the head while it healed. The tent was $480. I worked out at the time that the gore-tex was over $1 million per square metre!

I am full of metal from head to ankle; some is definitely Ti, but some was inserted over 35 years ago and I haven't a clue what it is.

I have plates, rods and screws which don't set off most metal detectors (I have found in the past that the more terrorist-sensitive ports and airports have detectors that are more sensitive). I don't know what metal was used in my lower jaw, but it triggers all detectors.

I had some hardware which used to trigger detectors, but I had it all replaced in 2001 with (presumably) Ti. That particular lot was custom made, following an amazing scan/measuring/3D CAD procedure, by a medical company in Memphis, Tennessee and cost over AUD$17,000.

When I still travelled overseas, I used to carry a doctor's letter with my passport to short-cut the interviews at departures and arrivals.

I have various fragments imbedded throughout my body, some of which are ferrous and I used to amuse children by 'sticking' strong magnets to my skin.

Back in the mid 1990s an oral surgeon I know well, told me the particular Ti (single tooth) implants that he used cost him $500 each. If you touched them with bare hands you would contaminate the very clean, presumably "high energy" surface and it was not allowed to contact stainless steel - as in a kidney dish. He said the whole kit cost $20 K. This had everything from hand pieces (air driven or electric micromotor, not sure), drivers (I think like mini torque wrenches etc), pilot drills, boring bits, taps, caps that are put over the implant while it integrates into the bone etc. Obviously some of these are eventually consumed. (Special order desk at Bunnings...)
Those Goretex liners are used also to prevent the gum healing over, beating the bone regeneration, in the treatment of periodontal (gum) disease. Nothing is cheap.
A single tooth implant, an easy one from go to whoa is around $4 to $6 K - ie including porcelain crown. Like everything, you have a choice. Partial dentures, bridges or implants. Or go to somewhere for some dental tourism and get it cheap - you might end up many times worse off.

Richard

Now and again I think about the cost. My eldest daughter doesn't have either lateral incisor, the youngest had the overbite. I am only thankful that we were in a position to be able to afford the treatment involved. There certainly wasn't the money available when I was a kid for such treatment. I dare say the techniques weren't as available either.

Nothing can beat looking at the beautiful smiles of my girls, the result of the work of some very gifted people.

Bob.

Bone Screws, Screwdrivers et alia.

The original post created some interest, so ...

I did a little more research on these screws and equipment, by contacting an "impeccable source" in the industry.
Dont ask.

The screws in the original photo are from Synthes Switzerland.
They are "1.3mm Titanium Cortex Screws, self tapping, cruciform head" as per catalog.
(Catalog shows these screws are available in Titanium or "Steel").

They are used in the operating theatre from a kit which contains plates screws and tools, each kit being pertinent to the particular patient's problem.
Each kit contains plates and screws of various sizes, and the screws come in various lengths.
The kits have check lists, so there are "no missing bits" in the patient, and re-ordering can be easily carried out later.
The whole kit is designed to be sterilised in one job.
The kit in the photos are for hand operations, and there are other kits.

The bone is first very carefully drilled with drills from the kit, then plates (cut to size as required) and appropriate screws are driven by hand with screwdrivers from the kit.
There are two types of screwdrivers, one has a wooden (imitation?) handle and bits, the other is a plastic handled "Mini Quick Change", and which has a screwholding action built in.

I am told that the original M1.3 x 10 screws probably cost about $75 each.
The Quick Change Screwdriver is approx $950.
I have seen one price for a Hand Kit at $52,000.
I shudder at the cost of a collection of kits that each hospital must have.

And there is a screwdriver blade on Ebay at the moment.
"Synthes 1.3mm Cruciform Screwdriver Blade 314.411.96". A snip at $320.

Have a look at the websites for Synthes.

cheerio mike

That "wooden" handle is a reinforced plastic that does look a bit like wood at first glance

The steel screws are 316 stainless and are much more user friendly

The degree of care with the drilling is the same that any of us would use in a situation we dont want to foul up (as the americans would say).

There are quite a few other companies making similar stuff

BTW for those interested I cannot work out why there are no headless compression screws for woodworking. These screws have a larger dia but finer pitch at the screwdriver end than the tip and this difference in pitch creates compression as the screw is buried. It is a most useful idea.

(google Herbert or Acutrax screws)