Biomechanical comparison of the proximal interphalangeal joint arthrodesis using a compression wire

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic surgery
• Biomechanical engineering
• Hand surgery

Background:

• Arthrodesis is a common surgical procedure for treating osteoarthritis in the proximal interphalangeal joint of the finger.
• Assessing the primary stability of different fixation methods is crucial for successful arthrodesis outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To biomechanically compare the primary stability of one or two compression wires against intraosseous wiring and tension band wiring for finger joint arthrodesis.

Main Methods:

• The study involved testing the stability of arthrodesis constructs under flexion and extension forces.
• Fixation methods included one or two crossed compression wires, intraosseous wiring, and tension band wiring.
• A 10° bending force was applied to evaluate construct stability.

Main Results:

• Two crossed compression wires demonstrated the highest stability (20.42 N flexion, 22.56 N extension).
• One compression wire also showed significant stability (12.82 N flexion, 13.63 N extension).
• Intraosseous wiring exhibited the lowest stability (10.94 N flexion, 9.71 N extension).

Conclusions:

• Compression wires provide statistically superior primary stability compared to intraosseous wiring.
• Tension band wiring offered intermediate stability.
• Compression wires warrant further clinical investigation for interphalangeal joint arthrodesis.