Effect of coring conditions on temperature rise in bone

Coring is a surgical procedure in bone biopsy retrieval and dental/orthopaedic procedures, which may cause thermal damage to bone tissues adjacent to the coring zone. This study was performed to determine the temperature rise in bone by coring using a semi-empirical thermocouple approach. Concurrently, a custom-made dynamometer was used to measure the cutting and thrust forces during coring bovine cortical bone samples. The experimental results indicated that the cutting force, cutting speed, and depth of cut significantly affect the temperature rise in the cutting zone during coring process. In addition, acute temperature rises in the cutting zone occurred when the cutting speed exceeded threshold levels. The limited capacity of heat dissipation during coring is most likely responsible for such a sharp temperature rise with increasing cutting speed. Moreover, it was observed that the maximum size of potential thermal damage zone could reach to 3.0 mm in depth from the surface of the coring hole, assuming that thermal damage would occur when the temperature is greater than 47°C. Thus, proper cutting conditions need to be selected to avoid the potential thermal damage to bone during the coring procedures.