A surgical torque-limiting screwdriver comprising: a housing; a motor positioned in the housing and configured to receive electrical power from a power source; a drive head positioned at a distal end of the screwdriver, the drive head configured to receive a bit that engages a screw and to be rotated by the motor so as to enable the screwdriver to drive the screw into a bone; a current sensor that samples electrical current drawn by the motor during operation of the motor; a controller that, during driving of the screw into the bone: receives signals from the current sensor indicative of the electrical current drawn by the motor; uses the signals to determine a plurality of driving torque values, each of the plurality of driving torque values indicative of an amount of torque that the screwdriver is applying to the screw during a respective time period t; stores at least the three most-recent of the plurality of driving torque values in a memory; compares each of the driving torque values that occur after a deadband with a threshold torque value; prevents engagement of a torque-limiting function until at least one of the driving torque values that occur after the deadband is greater than or equal to the threshold torque value; permits engagement of the torque-limiting function in response to at least one of the driving torque values that occur after the deadband being greater than or equal to the threshold torque value; reduces the rotational speed at which the screwdriver drives the screw in response to at least one of the driving torque values that occur after the deadband being greater than or equal to the threshold torque value; and engages the torque-limiting function in response to determining that: engagement of the torque-limiting function is permitted; and at least three of the driving torque values that occur after the deadband consecutively decrease; wherein the torque-limiting function stops the driving of the screw by the screwdriver. a housing; a motor positioned in the housing and configured to receive electrical power from a power source; a drive head positioned at a distal end of the screwdriver, the drive head configured to receive a bit that engages a screw and to be rotated by the motor so as to enable the screwdriver to drive the screw into a bone; a current sensor that samples electrical current drawn by the motor during operation of the motor; a controller that, during driving of the screw into the bone: receives signals from the current sensor indicative of the electrical current drawn by the motor; uses the signals to determine a plurality of driving torque values, each of the plurality of driving torque values indicative of an amount of torque that the screwdriver is applying to the screw during a respective time period t; stores at least the three most-recent of the plurality of driving torque values in a memory; compares each of the driving torque values that occur after a deadband with a threshold torque value; prevents engagement of a torque-limiting function until at least one of the driving torque values that occur after the deadband is greater than or equal to the threshold torque value; permits engagement of the torque-limiting function in response to at least one of the driving torque values that occur after the deadband being greater than or equal to the threshold torque value; reduces the rotational speed at which the screwdriver drives the screw in response to at least one of the driving torque values that occur after the deadband being greater than or equal to the threshold torque value; and engages the torque-limiting function in response to determining that: engagement of the torque-limiting function is permitted; and at least three of the driving torque values that occur after the deadband consecutively decrease; wherein the torque-limiting function stops the driving of the screw by the screwdriver. receives signals from the current sensor indicative of the electrical current drawn by the motor; uses the signals to determine a plurality of driving torque values, each of the plurality of driving torque values indicative of an amount of torque that the screwdriver is applying to the screw during a respective time period t; stores at least the three most-recent of the plurality of driving torque values in a memory; compares each of the driving torque values that occur after a deadband with a threshold torque value; prevents engagement of a torque-limiting function until at least one of the driving torque values that occur after the deadband is greater than or equal to the threshold torque value; permits engagement of the torque-limiting function in response to at least one of the driving torque values that occur after the deadband being greater than or equal to the threshold torque value; reduces the rotational speed at which the screwdriver drives the screw in response to at least one of the driving torque values that occur after the deadband being greater than or equal to the threshold torque value; and engages the torque-limiting function in response to determining that: engagement of the torque-limiting function is permitted; and at least three of the driving torque values that occur after the deadband consecutively decrease; engagement of the torque-limiting function is permitted; and at least three of the driving torque values that occur after the deadband consecutively decrease; wherein the torque-limiting function stops the driving of the screw by the screwdriver.