Development and Evaluation of the Efficacy of a Universal Device for Orthopedic Screw Explantation in Veterinary Medicine

• Grant number: 24/07187-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2024
• End date: July 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Clinics and Surgery
• Principal Investigator: Luis Gustavo Gosuen Gonçalves Dias
• Grantee: Giulia Vasquez Chiarato dos Santos
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The orthopedic demand in small animal practice increases the need for careful management of surgical implants. The removal of orthopedic devices, especially plates and locked screws, is routine, albeit hindered by the wide range of implant models and frequent screw deformations due to application complications. Thus, this study aims to prototype and evaluate the quality of a universal device for explanting stripped orthopedic screws. For this purpose, a set of universal keys will be developed, intended for 2.7mm and 3.5mm screw systems. Two groups of test bodies will be created, each group consisting of a locked straight plate containing 10 holes and 10 screws locked to the plate, with mechanically stripped heads, meaning they cannot be engaged with keys for explantation. Group G1 will have implants from the 2.7mm system, and G2 from the 3.5mm system. The analysis will involve attempting to remove 10 screws per group, assessing the fit quality of the explantation-screw device, the possibility of screw removal, the time required for initial unscrewing, and complete implant removal. Subsequently, numerical data will be statistically treated to verify correlations between variables and between both groups and implant systems. The study aims to demonstrate the efficacy of the universal explantation device in removing orthopedic screws that do not allow key engagement, as well as to encourage commercial dissemination of the product to address the problem commonly faced by surgeons.