Time analysis for screw application: traditional lag technique versus self-tapping lag technique.

A study was conducted to compare the procedural time of a 2.7-mm. fully threaded cortical screw versus a self-tapping, 2.4-mm. lag screw, which is reported to eliminate the need for overdrilling and tapping. The screws were applied by four board-certified podiatric and orthopedic physicians and four second-year podiatric and orthopedic residents. Each screw was placed through two 8-mm. layers of Last-a-foam, and the participants were timed for length of application of four screws from each system per week. The trials were repeated weekly for 4 weeks. The results showed a statistically significant difference between the length of time for insertion between a traditional cortical screw and a self-tapping lag screw, regardless of physician experience.