Thermal model to investigate temperature distribution with a hollow notched K-wire for bone drilling.

K-wire drilling is commonly used in orthopedic surgeries, generating significant heat that can lead to bone thermal osteonecrosis. To understand the heat propagation and thermal damage region, a mathematical model of the negative rake angle on the hollow notched K-wire was established. Subsequently, a theoretical model of the shear angle for this negative rake angle was proposed. Based on these models, a comprehensive theoretical model of the heat flux was derived. The accurate heat flux was determined using the theoretical values, and experimental temperature data through inverse heat transfer method (IHTM). This heat flux was then applied in a finite element analysis to simulate the heat transfer process and identify thermal damage regions under different drilling conditions. Results showed that the thermal damage region of bone with a solid K-wire, hollow notched K-wire without cooling, with air cooling, and with water cooling were approximately 6.4 mm, 3.2 mm, 2.6 mm, and 4.8 mm in width, respectively, and 6.79 mm, 6.45 mm, 6.39 mm, and 6.58 mm in depth, respectively. This study demonstrates that the hollow notched K-wire with air cooling is a potential solution to reduce the thermal damage region, thereby accelerating patient recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]