The Tru-Grip Locking Screwdriver: A surgical innovation from Harvard Healthcare Ltd

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Screwdrivers are commonly used in orthopaedic surgery to repair a fracture site or rebuildscaffolding around damaged joints & tissue. Up to 6% of traumatic injury patients havefractures; of these patients, ~50% require repair using fixation. Fracture repairs are rising,with market drivers including the aging population (osteoporotic fractures), increasingprevalence of degenerative joint diseases and active lifestyles causing joint wear and tear.There are a number of common problems with existing screwdrivers; they often fail to retainthe screw, & screws can fall into the patient or onto the floor. If the screw falls into the patientit can take time to retrieve; those that fall on to the floor are no longer usable. During theremoval of existing screws there is a risk of stripping & breaking the screw head if thescrewdriver fails to engage properly, making removal problematic and causing the patientdifficulties. A survey of surgeons determined that >60% encountered problems retainingscrews at the end of the screwdriver. Stripped screws & poor screwing technique lengthenoperative time, increase the risk of secondary maximally invasive surgery & the presence ofmetallic shavings residues in cases of screw head destruction.The opportunity exists for Harvard Healthcare Ltd to develop the ‘Tru-Grip LockingScrewdriver’ (TGS), a new orthopaedic screwdriver. The TGS is a hex-tipped driver designedto retain the fastener and prevent screws dropping onto the floor and becoming unusable, orinto the patient, potentially causing tissue damage and costly extension to theatre time.Conservative estimates suggest a minimum of £34K - £62K could be saved by the NHSannually in dropped screws using the TGS, excluding the costs of extra theatre time saved(£15/minute). Cumulative worldwide 5 year sales figures suggest gross profit for HH of over£12.8m, with return on investment expected for Harvard Heathcare in Y1, and for UK Plc inY2.