Everything revolves around the feet - Rotating instruments in podiatry and foot health

Grinding nails and removing calluses are two tasks that are part of every professional foot care treatment. By using rotary instruments, these treatment steps can not only be carried out more quickly, but also more precisely and efficiently. Choosing the right tool is crucial: grit, shape and material have a significant influence on the treatment result.

Skin, nails, corns, calluses - there are many different areas to work on the feet. A variety of rotary instruments are available for each area. Basically, rotary instruments can be divided into burs and grinders. These are supplemented by polishers, brushes and buffers. While burs and grinders are primarily used to remove layers of nail or horn, polishers & co. are mainly used for finishing - for example to smooth or matt the nail surface. In practice, the boundaries are blurred: Many instruments can be used flexibly, as the principle of ‘both and’ often applies.

Rotating instruments in foot care can be roughly divided into the following groups:

• Sander - with defined grit sizes These include diamond burs, hybrid burs, ceramic burs and polishers.
• Milling burs - with defined cutting edges Carbide burs, ceramic burs and stainless steel burs can be categorised here.

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In professional foot care - especially in the podiatry sector - it is not only efficiency and precision that are important, but also the medical approval of the instruments used. The Medical Devices Operator Ordinance applies to podiatrists. This means that all rotary instruments used as part of their therapeutic activities must be certified as medical devices and therefore fulfil the highest standards of safety, hygiene and quality.

In the following, we will give you an overview of the most important rotating instruments that have proven themselves in everyday practice for many years:

Diamond bur

Diamond burrs are among the most frequently used instruments in podiatry and foot health. They are made of stainless steel and the head is coated with high-quality diamond grit in an electroplating process. This delivers an even grinding performance (abrasiveness) and low vibration. An especially important benefit: diamond burrs are available in numerous shapes, grits and sizes and can therefore be used flexibly - from large-scale filing of thickened skin layers to detailed work in the nail fold. Due to their long service life, they are also considered to be especially economical. Diamond burrs are corrosion-resistant and suitable for all common disinfection and sterilisation procedures.

• Material: Stainless steel with galvanically bonded diamond grit
• Indication: Universally applicable, e.g. for nail and callus work, also fine detail work
• Special feature: Large selection of shape, size and grit - from mega coarse to extra fine

A successful combination of two worlds: The innovative hybrid grinders combine the advantages of diamond and ceramic in one instrument. The patented combination of the two abrasive grits makes the hybrid grinders a high-tech product for modern podiatry. Despite the fundamentally finer hybrid grit, it has a noticeably higher removal rate and leaves a finely textured surface. This makes them ideal for working on calluses - even on sensitive skin such as that of high-risk patients.

• Material: Combination of diamond and ceramic grit (hybrid structure)
• Indication: Recommended for treating calluses, especially on sensitive or calloused skin
• Special feature: High removal rate yet gentle grinding

Corundum sanders are made of ceramic-bonded aluminium oxide, an especially hard abrasive material. The abrasive body is fired in a sintering process and is gradually shaped thanks to abrasion. The highlight: New abrasive grains are constantly exposed during use - an effect that delivers consistent sanding performance over the entire service life.

Corundum sanders are ideal for smoothing nail surfaces, processing callus along with treatment. The areas of application also vary depending on the colour type: Pink aluminium oxide is suitable for fine sanding work on nails and skin, while white aluminium oxide is preferred for nail reconstruction or clasp technology.

• Material: Ceramic-bonded aluminium oxide
• Indication: Smoothing nails and skin, nail reconstruction and clasp technology
• Special features: ‘Self-sharpening’ effect thanks to continuous surface renewal

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Buffers are the specialists for the finishing touches. They are used at the end of the pedicure treatment and give nail surfaces a final polish - matt or shiny, depending on the polishing body selected. Polishers can be used for both natural and artificial nails and are irreplaceable for classic pedicures.

• Material: Soft and elastic polishing body made of silicone bond
• Indication: Smoothing and polishing the nail surface, nail reconstruction treatment
• Special features: No grinding effect, but surface refinement as a finish

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Abrive caps are specially designed for single use and are ideal for filing dry, cracked callus along with smoothing after rough preparatory work with a plane or scalpel. They are characterised by their efficient and even removal performance.

Important for podological use: RUCK Abrasive Caps are classified as a medical device. Thanks to the corundum coating, the abrasive caps provide a well abrasive performance and are produced in an extremely sustainable new design. Abrasive caps have always been classified as a disposable product, i.e. intended for single use. This is highly practical in terms of patient protection, as it prevents cross-contamination, which is especially important for high-risk patients such as diabetics.

MedCap and HybridCap are reusable abrasive caps that have been specially developed for professional podiatry use. In contrast to classic disposable abrasive caps, they are made from robust materials, can be sterilised and can be reused up to 300 times - an economic and sustainable solution in everyday practice.

Both variants are ideal for flat corneal treatment. The diamond-coated surface of the medCaps is especially suitable for heavily callused and cracked skin. The HybridCap combines diamond and ceramic grit and then delivers a high removal rate with maximum skin protection - suitable for sensitive skin or patients at risk.

• Material: Stainless steel cap with diamond coating (medCap) or diamond-ceramic coating (HybridCap)
Indication: Extensive callus removal, even on sensitive skin - finer surfaces with a slightly higher removal rate
• Special features: Reusable, sterilisable and sustainable

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Carbide burs are made from ultra-fine grain carbide and are among the most powerful rotary instruments in professional foot care. They are characterised by easy-cutting and precise toothing along with excellent concentricity. This enables both extensive, powerful filing and the processing of the finest structures. The robust design relieves the pedicure motor and delivers a long service life - even with frequent directions. Carbide burs are ideal for processing artificial nails, reducing severe nail thickening or removing heavy callus. Special variants - such as the SPEED PLUS series - have been optimised for processing acrylic and gel nails.

• Material: Ultra-fine grain carbide with precise serration
• Indication: Effective processing of skin and nails, corns, acrylic and gel nails
• Special features: Highly durable, high removal rate, twice as hard as hardened steel

Ceramic burs are made of high-performance ceramics with a special surface serration that enables gentle, controlled burs with yet higher removal rates. The fact that ceramic is up to 60 per cent lighter than carbide reduces the strain on the handpiece and user - a real benefit, especially for long treatments. Patients with a pronounced metal allergy also benefit from the added biocompatibility.

• Material: Fracture-resistant high-performance ceramic
• Indication: For processing natural and artificial nails and cuticles, suitable for patients at risk of allergies
• Special features: Especially lightweight, durable and sharp

Steel steel burs are made of high-quality, rust-proof stainless steel and are part of the basic equipment in many pedicure studios and podiatry practices. They are multipurpose for processing nails and skin. Compared to carbide or ceramic cutters, stainless steel burs are less abrasive. They are suitable for shaping natural nails, filing and smoothing callus or removing nail thickening, for example.

• Material: Rust-proof steel
• Indication: Versatile indication depending on shape and toothing, highly suitable for processing skin, calluses and nail edges
• Special features: Fine, sharp blades

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The ONY CLEAN burs are a specially developed instrument for effective and gentle treatment of the nail fold. The polygonal shape without sharp blades enables safe work on the nail - even in hard-to-reach areas.

• Material: Special instrument made from stainless steel
• Indication: Relieving cleaning of the nail fold, removing cuticles
• Special features: Polygonal working part without sharp blades

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Hollow burs are specialised instruments and are used for the gentle removal of deep corns (clavi), for filing hard calluses and for milling out corneal grooves. Their shape enables controlled penetration into the affected skin layer.

• Material: special instrument made from stainless steel
• Indication: Removal of deep corns, filing of calluses and smoothing of corneal grooves
• Special features: Ring-shaped milling head with serrated or smooth head rest

Rotating instruments are among the most important tools in professional podiatry. Their targeted selection - tailored to the material, shape and intended use - significantly influences the quality of treatment. If you want to work efficiently, gently and hygienically, you benefit from a well-coordinated range of instruments.

Are you unsure which instrument is suitable for your treatment? Our consultants will be happy to help you make the right choice - individually, personally and competently.

In this YouTube video, podiatrist Elisabeth Prinz demonstrates which rotary instruments she uses in her practice and which burs she considers indispensable. She also shares important tips and tricks for the daily work life of podiatry.