Intraoperative Kirschner Wire Breakage in a Pediatric Supracondylar Humerus Fracture

A displaced supracondylar humerus in a child is usually treated with closed reduction and percutaneous Kirschner (K)-wire fixation. The procedure is straightforward and usually yields excellent outcomes. In general, intraoperative complications are uncommon and intraoperative complications related to K-wires are exceedingly rare. We present the case of intraoperative K-wire breakage while performing closed reduction and K-wire fixation for a pediatric supracondylar humerus fracture. This unusual complication occurred while drilling through the medial cortex and the broken end of the K-wire disappeared under the skin in the cartilaginous distal humerus. The broken wire was removed by making an incision over the broken end. This report serves as a reminder to follow principles of drilling and avoid K-wire-related complications while performing percutaneous fixation of the pediatric supracondylar humerus fracture.