Interphalangeal arthrodesis using an intramedullary nitinol implant: a prospective study

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic surgery
• Biomaterials science

Background:

• Arthrodesis is a surgical procedure to fuse bones, often used for painful joint conditions.
• Nitinol implants offer unique properties like shape memory and superelasticity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of the nitinol (X-Fuse®) implant for arthrodesis of the distal interphalangeal and thumb joints.
• To assess bone fusion rates and clinical outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study of 24 patients with 41 nitinol (X-Fuse®) implants.
• Clinical and radiographic follow-up for a minimum of 14 months.
• Assessed Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) and visual analog scale (VAS) scores.

Main Results:

• Significant improvement in DASH scores (37.7 to 14.5) and VAS scores (5.5 to 0.85) at one year.
• A 5% failure to fuse rate, successfully treated with reoperation.
• No severe complications like infection or fracture were reported.

Conclusions:

• The X-Fuse® implant is a reliable alternative for finger joint arthrodesis.
• Demonstrates good clinical efficiency and fusion rates.