A–Z reference

Instrument glossary

Key terms for surgical instrument buyers.

Annealing

Heat treatment to relieve internal stresses in forged steel.

AQL

Acceptable Quality Level — maximum defect percentage acceptable in a sampled batch (ISO 2859).

Box joint

The hinge mechanism connecting two instrument halves.

Curette

A spoon-shaped instrument used for scraping biological material.

Electro‑polishing

Electrochemical process that smooths metal surfaces and improves corrosion resistance.

HRC

Hardness Rockwell C scale — standard measure for cutting instruments.

ISO 13485

International standard for quality management systems in medical devices.

Passivation

Chemical treatment that creates a stable oxide layer on stainless steel.

Rongeur

A heavy‑duty instrument used to cut and remove sections of bone.

UDI

Unique Device Identifier required by EU MDR and FDA for traceability.