Biomechanical Comparison of Headless Compression Screws, Kirschner Wires and Bioabsorbable Pins in Distal Oblique...

Distal osteotomy of the first metatarsal is a widely used method for the correction of mild-to-moderate hallux valgus deformities. The objective of this study was to compare the stability of headless compression screws, kirschner wires and absorbable pins in terms of stiffness and maximum load in distal oblique metatarsal osteotomy.

A total of 30 4th generation first metatarsal synthetic bone models were divided into three groups according to the fixation techniques. The stiffness of the first metatarsal was calculated as the slope of the linear curve that fit with the first linear part of the force displacement curve. The failure strength was recorded as the maximum load. The stiffness and maximum load values in the axillary and transverse configurations were compared between the three fixation groups.

The stiffness was statistically higher in Group K and Group C compared to Group B in both axial and transverse loading. Similarly, the maximum load was significantly higher in both Group K and Group C compared to Group B in both loading conditions. No significant difference was found between Group K and Group C in stability. The higher failure strength was obtained with headless compression screws (113.34±35.88 N) in the axial loading. The lowest failure strength was found in the absorbable pins technique (16.17±7.72 N) in the transverse loading.

No significant difference was found between the Kirschner wires and headless compression screws techniques, although the highest strength was obtained with headless compression screws that are increasingly used in orthopedic practice.