title: Kirschner wire pin tract infection rates between percutaneous and buried wires in treating metacarpal and phalangeal fractures.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare pin tract infection rate between percutaneous and buried placement of Kirschner (K-) wiring for hand fractures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Quasi--experimental study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Plastic, Reconstructive, Hand and Burn Surgery Unit, Liaquat National Hospital, Karachi, from September 2005--February 2006.
  
  
  METHODS
  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.
  
  
  RESULTS
  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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Percutaneous K- wires had significantly greater infection rate than wires which were buried deep to the skin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Hand Surgery, Liaquat National Hospital, Karachi. dratif_2@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Atif
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rafique
authors.forename: Shahab
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghani
authors.forename: Moiz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sadiq
authors.forename: Intisar Ahmed
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Siddiqui
mesh_terms: D001864:Bone Wires / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000145:classification; D004867:Equipment Design; D004869:Equipment Safety; D005260:Female; D050278:Finger Phalanges / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery*; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000295:instrumentation; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D050279:Metacarpal Bones / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery*; D010154:Pakistan; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*