Pin Care
Sometimes, most often after certain hand or finger fractures, metal pins will be used to hold bones in position during the healing process. These pins are also called "kirschner wires" or "k-wires". The ends of the pins may be trimmed below the skin ("buried") or trimmed outside the skin ("exposed").
This patient has had her fracture fixed with four pins. The pins held the broken bones in the correct position while they healed. The pins were removed 4 weeks after surgery.
Photo used with patient permisssion.
This is what the pins looked like after they were removed. Each of these pins is 0.035 inches (or 0.9 millimeters) in diameter. They are made of stainless still. The pointed end that goes in the bone is very sharp.
Cleaning: If the pins are buried and/or you are in a post-surgical splint or cast, the pins will be covered at all times. You do not need to clean them. If you have received a custom removable brace from hand therapy and the pins are exposed, you will clean the pins twice a day. To clean the pins, wash your hands with antibacterial soap and water. Then mix equal parts hydrogen peroxide and water in a clean covered container or jar. This solution should be discarded and replaced once a day. Dip the end of a clean cotton-tipped applicator ("Q-tip") in the solution. Then use the Q-tip to clean around the first pin, starting at the junction of the wire and the skin and then working outwards. Use one or more Q-tips per pin. Repeat process for each pin, using a new Q-tip for each pin. Do not double-dip used Q-tips in the cleaning solution- this will contaminate it. Sometimes the pins can rotate during cleaning. As long as they are not causing irritation of the skin or backing out, that's okay.
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Showers: Unless you been instructed otherwise, keep the surgical area clean and dry during showers. Cover the surgical area with a cast cover or with a double plastic bag with duct tape. Do not immerse the surgical area in water.
Will I see/feel the pins? The pins will be covered by a post-surgical splint immediately after surgery and then by a cast or custom removable brace. You may occasionally feel the pins beneath your splint, cast, or brace, but they should not be painful.
Pin removal: The pins are usually removed 4 to 6 weeks after surgery, though sometimes they will be left in for more or less time. Anesthesia is only required for removal if the pins are buried, as this requires a small incision. If the pins are exposed, they will be removed in clinic. Patients often worry that pin removal will be painful. However any discomfort is generally quite mild. Slight bleeding can occur.
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Red flags: If there is increasing pain, swelling, redness, or drainage, or if there is discomfort from the pins rubbing beneath the cast/post-surgical dressing, please call Dr. Williams' office.
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