title: Infection rate of percutaneous Kirschner wire fixation for distal radius fractures.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review the infection rate in 43 patients who underwent percutaneous Kirschner wire fixation for distal radius fractures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Records of 13 men and 30 women aged 25 to 86 (mean, 49) years who underwent closed reduction and percutaneous Kirschner wire fixation for unstable distal radius fractures were reviewed. Each fracture was fixed with 2 to 3 wires of 1.6-mm diameter. Kirschner wires were left protruding through the skin for easy removal, with their ends bent outside the skin to prevent migration. Wounds were cleaned and dressed with gauze and a plaster-of-Paris cast was applied. The severity of the pin tract infection was graded according to the modified Oppenheim classification.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nine (21%) of the patients developed pin tract infection (3 grade 1, 3 grade 2, 2 grade 3, and one grade 4). Three patients underwent early removal of the Kirschner wires at week 3.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The infection rate after percutaneous Kirschner wire fixation is unacceptable. Kirschner wires should be buried under the skin to decrease the infection rate.
authors.affiliation: Wansbeck General Hospital, Ashington, United Kingdom. lakunns@gmail.com
authors.forename: Palaniappan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lakshmanan
authors.forename: Varun
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dixit
authors.forename: Mike R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Reed
authors.forename: Joel Lester
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Sher
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001864:Bone Wires / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011885:Radius Fractures / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents