Analysis and estimation of cutting-temperature distribution during end milling in relation to orthopedic surgery

Living bone must be cut before performing arthroplasty. For example, the distal part of the femur and the proximal part of the tibia must be cut to perform total knee arthroplasty. Osteocytes begin to necrose when the cutting temperature during such procedures exceeds 50 °C. In this study, the temperature distribution inside bone was calculated theoretically using a linear heat source moving on a semi-infinite plane. Moreover, the temperature distribution on the surface layer of the cutting edge was measured using thermography. Analytical and experimental results showed that the cutting temperature could be estimated for the cortical bone and that the cutting temperature increased suddenly near the surface of bone. Consequently, the cutting temperature of bone tissue within 0.15 mm of the surface layer may be above 35 °C if the cutting environment is not cooled, and consequently, the bone surface is heated to more than 55 °C.