A comparison between K-wire and compression screw fixation after arthodesis of the distal interphalangeal joint

Thirty patients underwent arthrodesis of the distal interphalangeal (DIP) joint for various injuries. Fixation with K-wires was compared to fixation by compression screws. The screw method came to be preferred by us, principally because the immobilization time was significantly less and the patients returned to work more quickly. The success rate of fusion and the time required for it were about the same.