Plate and screw fixation runs as a fixed sequence, and every instrument in this collection occupies one step in it. Peak Surgicals stocks 26 patterns for veterinary fracture management, from Twist Drill ($11.00) to Spiked Disc ($75.90), in German stainless steel and CE marked and built under ISO 13485. Compare all 26 patterns in the grid below.
The Sequence: Reduce, Guide, Drill, Measure, Tap, Insert
The sequence starts before any hole is drilled. Straight Ball Spike ($11.00) and Spiked Disc ($75.90) hold the reduction while the plate is positioned, and Screw Holding Forceps ($16.50) carry the screw to the hole once it is prepared. From there the order is fixed: place the guide, drill, measure, tap if the screw requires it, then insert.
Guides do the work that decides accuracy. Drill Sleeve ($16.50), Insert Drill Sleeve ($11.00), Tap Sleeve ($16.50) and Holding Sleeve (from $19.80) keep the bit or tap on the intended axis and protect surrounding soft tissue from a rotating flute. Countersink ($16.50) prepares a seat so the screw head sits flush rather than standing proud of the cortex. We supply every pattern at MOQ 1.
Neutral or Load? The Guide Decides Whether the Fracture Compresses
The drill guide decides whether the fracture is compressed or merely held, and this is the single most consequential choice in the set. A neutral guide centres the hole in the plate hole, offsetting the screw by around a tenth of a millimetre. A load guide places the hole about a millimetre away from the fracture instead. When that eccentric screw is tightened, its head slides down the ramped plate hole and carries the bone with it, closing the fracture line under compression.
Drill Guide Neutral ($18.70) covers the first case. Universal Drill Guide ($13.20) covers both: pressed fully into the plate hole its spring-loaded cylinder centres the hole, and held against the edge of the hole without downward pressure it drills eccentrically. Pointed Drill Guide ($55.00) engages the cortex directly where a plate hole is not the reference. On any load guide, the arrow points towards the fracture.
Matching Bit, Tap and Screw
Drill bit diameter is matched to the screw, not chosen freely: the bit cuts a hole slightly larger than the screw's minor diameter so the threads have cortex to bite into. Twist Drill ($11.00), Drill Bit SQC ($13.20), Drill Bit SQC 3 Flute Calibrated ($11.00) and Drill Bit Titanium Nitride Coated ($13.20) cover that range, the coated version holding its cutting edge longer through cortical bone. Handle for Drill Bit ($16.50) and T-Handle ($33.00) drive them by hand where a powered drill is not wanted.
Whether the hole is tapped depends on the screw. Self-tapping screws cut their own thread through flutes at the tip; standard round-tipped screws need Bone Tap Bits (from $11.00) run first. Screwdriver Cruciform ($22.00), Screwdriver Hexagonal ($16.50) and the Phillips and single-slot phenolic-handle patterns match the screw head, and Tension Device ($33.00) adds compression across the fracture where the plate alone will not supply it.
Material, Reprocessing and Certification
Every pattern is manufactured from German stainless steel and passivated for corrosion resistance across repeated cycles, with titanium nitride coating on the drill bits supplied that way. The inspection point differs by instrument and each matters: check drill bit flutes under magnification for chipping, since a dull bit generates heat and thermal necrosis at the hole margin; check tap flutes for packed bone and rounded edges; check screwdriver tips for wear at the recess, because a rounded tip cams out and damages the screw head; and sight down every sleeve and guide to confirm the bore is clear and the shaft is true. Clean immediately with a neutral-pH enzymatic solution, flushing all sleeve and guide bores and brushing bone debris from flutes before it dries, then rinse with deionised water and dry fully before autoclaving at 134°C.
These are Class I reusable devices, CE marked and built under ISO 13485, with a one-year warranty. We ship at MOQ 1 with free shipping over $99, and OEM production is available. See Veterinary Orthopedic Depth Gauges for screw length measurement, or browse all Veterinary Surgical Instruments. Talk to us about OEM terms.
