Kirschner wire pin tract infection rates between percutaneous and buried wires in treating metacarpal and phalangeal fractures

ABSTRACT

To compare pin tract infection rate between percutaneous and buried placement of Kirschner [K-] wiring for hand fractures. Quasi ' experimental study. Place and Duration Plastic, Reconstructive, Hand and Burn Surgery Unit, Liaquat National Hospital, Karachi, from September 2005 ' February 2006. Patients and Patients with fractures of metacarpals and phalanges of hand were selected by non-probability purposive method. Assessment of pin tract infection by clinical examination and pin tract scoring was done by modification of Oppenheim classification. Statistical analysis was done using Chi-square test. Ten out of 55 percutaneous and 2 out of 45 buried wires were infected. The difference in infection rates of two groups was statistically significant at p < 0.05. Three percutaneous, but not buried Kirschner wires, had to be removed before 4 weeks because of failure to respond to local wound care and oral antibiotics. Percutaneous K- wires had significantly greater infection rate than wires which were buried deep to the skin