“I have been using the Woodpecker device for femoral broaching for the past several years. I have found this to be highly efficient and effective. Old broaching techniques called for hammering which causes peaks of hoop stresses in the proximal femur and can often lead to splits when the broach becomes tight. It is also very hard on the surgeon’s wrist and carpal bones.

The Woodpecker has allowed us to broach the femurs, and in the four years I can recall one split in some very osteoporotic bone. Most of the time, the broaching is extremely efficient, and I have tested the efficacy by broaching to the maximum with the Woodpecker and then attempting to broach further with the old method using a hammer. This is never possible. The Woodpecker broaches maximally, efficiently, and painlessly!

I have used this device as a prosthesis introducer and have found this to be equally as efficient. I have introduced the prostheses to the “end-point” with the Woodpecker. I then tried to further advance it with a hammer and punch, to no avail.

It appears that this method of broaching is the ideal means of imparting the impacting power to the broach without causing peak hoop stresses and leading to fractures of the proximal femur. It is a smooth, effortless way of preparing the proximal femur for press-fit prostheses. I can commend this to anyone interested in abandoning the hammer in the operating room!"

“I have been using the Woodpecker for preparation of the femoral canal in Total Hip Replacement for ten years or more. I first began using the system with the Zweymueller (Alloclassic) stem. This is a proportionally sized, collarless, tapered stem with rectangular cross section. This stem configuration makes it ideal for the Woodpecker Impact reamer/broach system.  

Over the years, I have used the Woodpecker for similar stem designs from various manufacturers including Zimmer, Wright Medical's Profemur Z, and currently, Smith Nephew's Platform stem.  

When performing a hip replacement, is important to accurately broach the femoral canal to get an ideal prosthetic fit. I feel that I can do this more accurately and safely with the Woodpecker than I can do by hand. By using the Woodpecker to control lateral reaming, I can get into the trochanter far enough to prevent the stem from going into varus. The pistol grip of the Woodpecker allows me to simply set anteversion of the femoral stem. I can get a much better pressfit of the stem by using the Woodpecker to ream the canal to the appropriate size. And finally, if I need to shorten the femoral length by a few millimeters, I can safely use the Woodpecker to ream the canal to allow the femoral stem to seat a little further distally.  

When I first began using the Woodpecker I was a little concerned about the possibility of increased risk of femoral shaft fracture. I did have one fracture, but it was associated with testing external rotation stability in extension. There have been five calcar cracks which did not require further fixation. To prevent these cracks,I have learned to cut the femoral neck a little shorter (which is no problem with these tapered, collarless stems) and to watch for impingement of the broach on the cortical bone of the calcar.  

In addition to elective hip arthroplasty, I have used the Woodpecker system for elderly patients with femoral neck fractures and have not seen an increased femoral fracture rate. 

I have enjoyed using the Woodpecker, and insist on it for every hip case. It is fun to use, and I believe makes it easier for me to do a better total hip arthroplasty!"

“Manipulation of the intramedullary canal may lead to bone marrow release, an increase of the intramedullary pressure and to fat embolism syndrome in joint arthoplasty. Identification of risk patients and a modification of the surgical technique are important...

The use of a pneumatic rasping machine is one essential instrument in this modified surgical technique. But further more, it provides a gentle and improved modeling of the proximal femur and reduces the risk of fissuring the bone. As soon as you are use to The Woodpecker, you cannot imagine returning to the hammer."

“Several years ago I slipped in the corridor of the operating room on a floor smeared with soap. During the fall I incurred a dislocation of the right metacarpophalangeal joint of the thumb. While I was getting up I reduced the thumb myself and continued my OR program.

Making a forceful closure of the fist was very painful for about three months. Working normally with the Woodpecker^® would not have been possible if the manufacturing company had not produced very quickly a custom-made design with a 90° pivotable rasp holder.

While working with the broach rotated 90°, it occurred to me that the grip displays the direction of the bent lower leg, laid across the opposite leg in the Patrick’s Test. As a result, the femur antetorsion can be controlled better than with the usual position of the hand grip.

Meanwhile my hand has long since healed. The 90° rotation of the broach has remained. The modification became the standard.”