Machining cancellous bone prior to prosthetic implantation

The structure of cancellous bone can be described as heterogeneous, and as such, is difficult to shape by cutting tools during clinical surgical practices. The structure of bone can have a devastating effect on the performance of the cutting tool unless it is coated with a hard-wearing, thin solid film. Here, the use of diamond-coated cutting tools to prepare bone for biomedical implants are investigated. This paper describes developments in the use of coated cutting tools for machining of cancellous bone and to prepare a nanostructured surface.