What is a Kirschner wire used for?
Kirschner wires (K-wires) are stiff, straight wires that are sometimes needed to repair a fracture (broken bone). K-wires are also commonly called ‘pins’. If your child has a fracture that requires surgery, they may need K-wires to help hold the bones in place until they heal.
What is K wire in ortho surgery?
K wires (Kirschner wires) are a type of stabilization wire/pin used in orthopedic surgery. They are pointed stainless steel wires that can be used in multiple roles during internal fixation: as a temporary measure before more definitive fixation.
Are K-wires intramedullary?
In children, intramedullary fixation by using standard K-wires provides effective treatment for the diaphyseal femoral fracture that has excellent clinical results. Each intramedullary K-wire costs US $5, which adds a cost effective advantage to this method of treatment.
Are K-wires flexible?
K-wires come in different sizes, and as they increase in size, they become less flexible. K-wires are often used to stabilize a broken bone and can be removed in the office once the fracture has healed.
What is Kirschner wire made of?
Made of implant steel or titanium Our Wires are manufactured out of implant steel (1.4441) and by request out of titanium.
How do K wires come out?
The K-wires stick out of the skin so that they can be easily removed once the bone has healed. They are covered with a dressing and a plaster cast and you / the patient will not be able to see them; alternatively they may be exposed out of the toe/finger.
What is Bennett’s fracture?
Bennet’s fracture is a break at the base of the first metacarpal bone (thumb bone) that meets the wrist at the first carpometacarpal (CMC) joint. The hand is composed of 3 types of bones: carpals or wrist bones, metacarpals or long hand bones, and phalanges or finger bones.
What are cerclage wires?
Cerclage wire refers to a type of orthopedic fixation/stabilization wire placed to approximate fractured bone fragments.
How are K wires used in orthopedic surgery?
K wires (Kirschner wires) are a type of stabilization wire/pin used in orthopedic surgery. They are pointed stainless steel wires that can be used in multiple roles during internal fixation: as a temporary measure before more definitive fixation thin wires are especially useful for smaller bones (e.g. hands, pediatrics)
When was the Kirschner wire first used in radiology?
The original Kirschner wire was introduced in 1909 by the German surgeon, Dr Martin Kirschner (1879-1942) 2. Both wires/pins were at first used for traction and only began to be used for fixation in the 1930s. 1. Canale ST, Beaty JH.
What kind of wire is a K wire?
K wires ( Kirschner wires) are a type of stabilization wire/pin used in orthopedic surgery. They are pointed stainless steel wires that can be used in multiple roles during internal fixation: Steinmann pins (or intramedullary pins ), a slightly earlier invention, are a similar type of fixation wire/pin.
Which is thicker a Steinmann pin or a K wire?
Today, a Steinmann pin usually refers to a wire thicker than the K-wire. K-wires used to be only inserted with open pre-drilling (in the 1920s), but the infection rate prompted development of a percutaneous approach (now with a pistol-grip wire driver). Pin-tract infections (PTI) are much less common than they used to be.