Orthopedic Screw Manufacturer & Products

Cortical screws feature a small thread pitch, shallow thread depth, and a high core-to-outer diameter ratio (around 0.75), engineered to maximize contact surface and purchase in dense, compact diaphyseal bone. Cancellous screws possess a much coarser pitch, larger outside diameter, and deep threads with a low core-to-outer diameter ratio (around 0.55), which allows the wide thread wings to grab spongy trabecular bone in metaphyseal regions. Locking screws feature a machine-threaded head that mechanically engages with the matching threaded screw hole of an anatomical plate. This creates a fixed-angle construct where pullout resistance depends on the total plate-screw assembly rather than friction between the plate and the periosteum, significantly enhancing stability in osteoporotic bone.

Ti-6Al-4V ELI (Extra Low Interstitial, ASTM F136) offers a modulus of elasticity (~110 GPa) that is significantly closer to cortical human bone (~18–20 GPa) than 316L Stainless Steel (~200 GPa). This closer elastic compliance dramatically reduces stress shielding—the pathological bone resorption that occurs when an excessively stiff metal carries all skeletal loads. Furthermore, titanium creates an instantaneous, highly stable passive titanium dioxide (TiO2) film upon contact with oxygen, granting supreme in-vivo corrosion resistance, exceptional biocompatibility, and non-ferromagnetic properties that generate substantially fewer artifacts during post-operative Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).

ASTM F543 is the definitive internationally recognized standard test method for metallic medical bone screws. It mandates four critical biomechanical assessments:
1. Torsional Properties: Measuring the maximum torsional strength and breaking angle of the screw shank.
2. Insertion & Removal Torque: Determining the peak torque required to drive the screw into standardized rigid polyurethane foam test blocks.
3. Axial Pullout Strength: Evaluating the axial tensile force required to dislodge the screw from standardized substrate.
4. Self-Tapping Performance: Measuring the driving force and penetration dynamics of self-tapping flutes. All ZATH orthopedic screw platforms undergo full-batch ASTM F543 testing to ensure zero intraoperative head-shearing or shank fractures.

Cannulated headless compression screws feature a hollow central cannula that allows precise percutaneous placement over a guide wire under fluoroscopic guidance. Their dual-lead thread geometry has a wider pitch at the leading tip and a tighter pitch at the trailing end. As the screw is driven across a fracture line, the trailing thread moves into bone slower than the leading thread, pulling the two bone fragments together to achieve uniform interfragmentary compression. Because the screw is headless, it sinks entirely beneath the articular cartilage surface, eliminating mechanical friction or impingement during joint motion in scaphoid, osteochondral, and distal radius fractures.

Quality assurance at ZATH operates under our strictly audited ISO 13485:2016 quality management system. Certified medical titanium or stainless bar stock arrives with full mill chemical and mechanical certifications. Machining occurs on Swiss CNC centers monitored by computerized SPC (Statistical Process Control). Every production lot is verified through optical coordinate measuring machines (CMM) and digital shadowgraph profile projectors for micro-pitch accuracy. Implants undergo multi-stage ultrasonic cleaning, passivation, and optional Type II anodization before automated sterile packaging and EO/Gamma sterilization, maintaining 100% traceability from raw ingot to the operating room.

Yes. With an in-house engineering and R&D department staffed by over 100 seasoned technicians, ZATH provides turnkey OEM/ODM services. We collaborate with orthobiologics companies, regional distributors, and brand holders to customize screw outer diameters, core taper profiles, drive recesses (StarDrive, Hexagonal, Cruciate), color-coded anodized finishes, laser-etched lot markings, and custom sterile blister packaging or non-sterile bulk graphics tailored to local regulatory registrations.