SmartToe® implant compared with Kirschner wire fixation for hammer digit corrective surgery: a review of 28 patients

For many years, end-to-end arthrodesis of a proximal interphalangeal joint arthrodesis to correct hammer digit deformity has been fixated with a Kirschner wire (K-wire). For this particular hammer digit deformity correction, we attempted to determine the effectiveness of the SmartToe(®) intramedullary shape memory implant compared with the K-wire. In a retrospective analysis of 28 cases, we evaluated several important parameters at baseline, postoperative days 7, 14, 21, 28, and 56, and 6 months for pain, complications, arthrodesis achieved, and return-to-work status. The SmartToe(®) outperformed the K-wire in all categories, with no evidence of significant complications, compared with multiple complications for patients in the K-wire arm of the study. This study demonstrates that the SmartToe(®) is a reasonable choice for fixation of proximal interphalangeal joint arthrodesis in hammer digit correction.