title: Metacarpophalangeal and interphalangeal joint arthrodesis: a comparative study between tension band and compression screw fixation.
abstract: A retrospective, comparative cohort study was performed of metacarpophalangeal or proximal interphalangeal joint arthrodesis with either tension band (n = 28) or compression (Acutrak Mini) screw (n = 29) methods. We compared rate of union, healing time, complications, and re-operation rate. Union was achieved in 26/28 (92.8%) of the tension band group (9.4 weeks) and 24/28 (85.7%) of the compression screw group (9.8 weeks). Only 28 patients in the screw group were assessed for union as one patient in the screw group sustained a fracture at the time of insertion and was converted to tension band fixation. The complication rate was 8/28 (28.6%) in the tension band group and 8/29 (27.6%) in the compression screw group. Re-operation rate was 9/28 (32.1%) in the tension band group and 1/29 (3.6%) in the compression screw group. Our findings indicate that bone healing, healing time, and complications are similar in both groups. The tension band technique had a significantly higher re-operation rate (hardware removal), but was the technique for salvage following failure of the screw technique.
authors.affiliation: Hand Surgery Unit, Orthopedic Department, Hospital del Trabajador, Santiago, Chile Hand Surgery Unit, Orthopedic Department, Clínica Alemana-Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile jbreyer@hts.cl.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Breyer
authors.affiliation: Hand Surgery Unit, Orthopedic Department, Hospital del Trabajador, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vergara
authors.affiliation: Hand Surgery Unit, Orthopedic Department, Hospital del Trabajador, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Parra
authors.affiliation: Hand Surgery Unit, Orthopedic Department, Hospital del Trabajador, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sotelo
authors.affiliation: Hand Surgery Unit, Orthopedic Department, Hospital del Trabajador, Santiago, Chile Hand Surgery Unit, Orthopedic Department, Clínica Alemana-Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bifani
authors.affiliation: Hand Surgery Unit, Orthopedic Department, Hospital del Trabajador, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Andrade
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001174:Arthrodesis / Q000295:instrumentation*; D001863:Bone Screws; D001864:Bone Wires; D005260:Female; D005384:Finger Joint / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008662:Metacarpophalangeal Joint / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: Finger arthrodesis; fusion; screw; tension band