Reducing aerosolization during bone drilling
Reducing aerosolization during bone drilling lead image
Coolants are used in procedures involving bone drilling to mitigate the effects of friction. However, in these procedures, the dispersion of bone particles, blood aerosols, and coolant increases risks of disease transmission. These aerosols can also remain in the air for several hours. Reducing aerosolization is therefore one of the most optimal solutions for preventing infections during these surgeries.
As viscoelastic substances suppress aerosolization, Huh et al. examined the effectiveness of two viscoelastic coolants, poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and polymeric poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), in suppressing aerosolization while reducing temperatures at bone drilling sites.
“During teeth drilling in dental procedures, not only the formation and spreading of contaminated water — the irrigation fluid — and saliva droplets can be prevented, but also the formation and spreading of droplets containing bone fragments,” said author Sam Yoon. “This is achieved by means of FDA-approved polymers and can be used in many other types of surgery involving bone drilling.”
Using PEO, PAA, and water in a bone drilling setup, the authors made both quantitative and qualitative measurements of coolant aerosol dispersion. Due to its strong viscoelasticity, PEO solutions best preserve the coolant and produce the smallest amount of aerosolization. However, at 1 weight percent, their viscoelasticity causes coolant to be removed from the drilling location via the Weissenberg effect.
“This work extends the aerosolization suppression approach based on dilute polymer solutions in operations involving dental handpieces and drilling,” said Yoon. “Next, we plan to search for ways to reduce aerosol transmission in other types of surgeries involving significant bone drilling and blood spatter.”
Source: “Suppression of aerosol dispersion by highly viscoelastic poly(acrylic acid)- and poly(ethylene oxide)-based coolants during bone drilling,” by Jungwoo Huh, Woojin Lim, Abdyrahymova Mayagozel, Seongdong Kim, Ali Aldalbahi, Mostafizur Rahaman, Jong-Il Choi, Alexander L. Yarin, and Sam S. Yoon, Physics of Fluids (2024). The article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0230744 .
