The instrument illustrated in the accompanying figure is a new instrument devised for the purpose of removing the bony debris from the Joseph saws employed in corrective rhinoplasty. This instrument is a three-sided file that is triangular shaped to fit into the interstices of the saw teeth.
Wire or bristle brushes will not remove bony debris that is wedged deep between the saw teeth, whereas this instrument will do so. The file is drawn between the teeth diagonally until the saw is completely clean. The file is sterilized and the saws checked at operation before using them.
There is considerable evidence to indicate that the transfer of bony debris from one patient to another may be attended by a postoperative foreign body reaction that is almost indistinguishable from an infection.1 I have noted a distinct drop in the number of such postoperative complications since I have avoided this transfer of