TissueDB/Simulators/Long Bone Drilling Simulator
The Long Bone Drilling Simulator is a low-cost trainer built from locally available materials for practising basic long-bone drilling with learners who are new to using a surgical drill.[1] The demonstrated basic builds use either bamboo held in clay or PPR pipe held in play-dough. The learner drills through the bone analogue to practise basic drill control before progressing to more complex ETALO simulators.
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Features and Basic Operation | A simple bone analogue is stabilised on a hard, flat surface and drilled with a manual or electric drill. The demonstrated configurations are bamboo held in clay and PPR pipe held in play-dough. The trainer supports basic drilling practice before progression to more advanced ETALO simulator configurations. An optional plunge-detector layer is documented separately. |
| Current Development Status | Self-directed ETALO training module developed through the Global Surgical Training Challenge. The module includes knowledge review and self-assessment activities. No formal skills-transfer or clinical-outcome validation of this basic simulator is documented in the source material. |
| Estimated Build Time and Cost | - - |
| Specialized Tools and Equipment | Manual or electric drill with an appropriate drill bit. The ETALO drilling curriculum describes both manual and electric drilling. A computer or mobile device may be used to view the instructional material. |
| Version | Version 1 |
| Development Team Contact Information | ETALO — Education To Advance Limb-Saving Options for Open Fractures and Osteomyelitis; a collaboration of orthopaedic surgeons, engineers and education/assessment specialists from Uganda, the United States and Canada, developed through the Global Surgical Training Challenge. |
Tissues
| Tissue | Qty | Material | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bone | 1 piece | Bamboo | - | Demonstrated Variant A. A small-diameter bamboo stick or pole is used as the bone analogue for drilling practice. |
| Bone | 1 piece | PPR pipe | - | Demonstrated Variant B. Small-diameter PPR plumbing pipe is used as the bone analogue for drilling practice. |
Structural Parts
| Part Name | Qty | Material | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stabiliser — demonstrated bamboo variant | Sufficient to hold the bone analogue securely | Clay | - | Clay holds the bamboo bone analogue on a hard, flat surface during drilling. It is a stabiliser and has no anatomical target. |
| Stabiliser — demonstrated PPR-pipe variant | Sufficient to hold the bone analogue securely | Play-dough | - | Play-dough holds the PPR-pipe bone analogue on a hard, flat surface during drilling. It is a stabiliser and has no anatomical target. |
Build Instructions
Demonstrated Variant A: Bamboo + Clay
Step 1. Place mouldable clay on a hard, flat surface.
Step 2. Insert the bamboo bone analogue into the clay.
Step 3. Position the bamboo so that it is held securely for drilling.
Step 4. Use the simulator for basic drilling practice with a manual or electric drill and suitable drill bit.
Demonstrated Variant B: PPR Pipe + Play-dough
Step 1. Place play-dough on a hard, flat surface.
Step 2. Insert the PPR-pipe bone analogue into the play-dough.
Step 3. Position the pipe so that it is held securely for drilling.
Step 4. Use the simulator for basic drilling practice with a manual or electric drill and suitable drill bit.
Matrix-listed alternatives
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The ETALO Basic Simulator Matrix lists additional options. These are retained as source-listed alternatives and are not presented as the demonstrated bamboo or PPR builds:
- PVC pipe — listed with PPR pipe as a possible bone analogue.
- Animal bone — listed as a possible bone analogue.
- Play-dough pipe — listed as a possible bone analogue.
- C-clamp — listed as a possible stabilisation method.
- Wood frame — listed as a possible stabilisation method.
No detailed construction sequence is supplied here for these alternatives because the basic instructional demonstrations used the bamboo-and-clay and PPR-pipe-and-play-dough configurations.
Training resources
- Drilling with an electric drill — demonstration of electric drilling on a bone analogue.
- Animated Video of Drilling Bone — animation of drilling technique and plunge detection.
- ETALO Basic Simulator Table — source matrix of bone-analogue and stabilisation options.
- ETALO Plunge Detector — optional plunge-detector layer documented separately.
Digital Resources
- Building a Basic Bone Drilling Simulator
- ETALO Basic Simulator Table
- Drilling with an electric drill
- Animated Video of Drilling Bone
- ETALO Plunge Detector
| Alternative names | ETALO Basic Bone Drilling Simulator Bone Drilling Simulator |
|---|
| Authors | Arturopelayo |
|---|---|
| License | CC-BY-SA-4.0 |
| Cite as | Arturopelayo (2026). "TissueDB/Simulators/Long Bone Drilling Simulator". Appropedia. Retrieved September 13, 2026. |
- ↑ ETALO (Education To Advance Limb-Saving Options for Open Fractures and Osteomyelitis). Building a Basic Bone Drilling Simulator. ETALO Bone Drilling Module, Appropedia. Building a Basic Bone Drilling Simulator. Bone-analog matrix: ETALO Basic Simulator Table. Primary developer source; not indexed in PubMed.