4 2 S U P P L E M E N T T O O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E A U G U S T 2 0 1 6
weight-balanced and
fitting comfortably in
the hand. By reducing
the risk of fatigued
hands, arms and shoul-
ders, these user-friend-
ly tools eliminate the
adverse physical
effects that heavier
equipment can have
during long cases.
The future of power
tools may build further
on the concept of
steady hands. While most of the equipment surgeons use on a daily basis has
not seen significant changes in essential functioning over the past 10 years, one
advance currently under development would enlist robotic assistance in ortho-
pedic surgery. Navigated freehand bone cutting puts the saw in a robot's precise
hand to improve joint implant alignment. Driven by preoperative imaging data
or other parameters, the systems provide haptic feedback to the surgeon at the
controls and even stop the saw if it is directed outside the bounds of the
planned cuts.
2
Ease of setup
Putting your drills, saws and burrs into play shouldn't slow you down.
Anything that makes a tool easier for the surgeon to set up and use will
be beneficial in the long run, for the procedure as well as the patient.
Your choice of power source, for instance, can play a huge role in the efficien-
cy of preparing for and performing surgery. Battery-powered tools have been
widely adopted in orthopedic ORs on account of their freedom from the cords
• PLENTY OF OPTIONS Today's new power tools are designed ergonomically friendly —
they're light and weight-balanced and fit comfortably in the hand.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN
