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Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery - British Volume, Vol 86-B, Issue 6, 892-897.
doi: 10.1302/0301-620X.86B6.13875  
Copyright © 2004 by British Editorial Society of Bone and Joint Surgery
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Hydroxyapatite-coated external-fixation pins

THE EFFECT ON PIN LOOSENING AND PIN-TRACK INFECTION IN LEG LENGTHENING FOR SHORT STATURE

G. Pizà, PhD, Orthopaedic Surgeon1; V. L. Caja, PhD, Orthopaedic Surgeon2; M. A. González-Viejo, PhD, Physiotherapy Consultant3; and A. Navarro, PhD, Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery2

1 Department of Paediatric Orthopaedics, Hospital Universitari Son Dureta, Edifica B, Andrea Doria 55, 07014 Palma, Mallorca, Spain.
2 Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hospital Universitari de Traumatologia i Rehabilitació Vall d’Hebron, Passeig de la Vall d’Hebron 119-129, 08035 Barcelona, Spain.
3 Department of Rehabilitation, Hospital Virgen del Camino, Irunlarrea 4, 31008 Pamplona, Spain.

Correspondence should be sent to Dr G. Pizà.

Pin loosening and infection are inherent complications of external fixation. This study deals with their effects of using either hydroxyapatite (HA)-coated or uncoated external fixation pins in leg-lengthening procedures on patients of short stature.

We used HA-coated pins on one side and uncoated pins on the other (randomly determined) in 28 bilateral lengthenings undertaken in 23 patients. A total of 322 pins was used. The mean implantation time was 530 days and the mean lengthening achieved was 78% of initial bone length. Mean extraction torque was 7611.6 Nmm degree–1 for HA-coated and 85.4 Nmm degree–1 for uncoated pins (p < 0.001). The rate of pin loosening was 4% (7/ 161) for HA-coated and 80% (129/161) for uncoated pins (p < 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of pin-track infection between the two groups.

The use of HA coating appears to be an effective method of reducing the incidence of pin loosening in external fixation with a long implantation time and for mechanically highly stressed procedures such as leg lengthening for short stature.




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Letter from Mr Joshi et al
A P Joshi
J Bone Joint Surg Br Online, 23 Feb 2005 [Full text]
Reply to Mr Joshi
G. Piza, et al.
J Bone Joint Surg Br Online, 23 Feb 2005 [Full text]

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Hip, Knee, Trauma, Upper limb, Foot & Ankle, Paediatrics, Oncology, Spine, Arthroplasty, General