Drill bit failure with implant involvement--an intraoperative complication in orthopaedic surgery.

This paper aims to investigate whether drill bit fragments which are in contact with an implant behave differently to those without contact to the implant and if so in what way. There is particular emphasis on whether two metals in contact are subject to corrosion and whether the products of such a corrosion lead to undesirable tissue reactions. The orthopaedic surgeon must know whether a drill bit fragment should be removed if it is in contact with an implant, in particular, whether there will be negative consequences for the tissue if it is left in the body. It is necessary to establish how much additional trauma is justified in removing a broken fragment and how the surgeon can determine intraoperatively whether there is contact between the fragment and the implant. Finally, this investigation aims to establish whether the fragment can be left in the body until implant removal or whether it can be left permanently in situ.