Distraction osteogenesis in the hand with and without K-wire

Background: distraction osteogenesis is an established option for reconstruction of amputated fingers. in contrast to the primary method of distraction osteogenesis, using kirschner wire (k-wire) as an internal fixator is not common today. this study was conducted to evaluate distraction osteogenesis with and without k-wire. methods: this randomized clinical trial was conducted on 16 amputated fingers which were divided into two equal groups. while we used both orthofix m-100 and k-wire in the first group, only orthofix m-100 was implemented in the second group. the results were analyzed by t-test in spss11.5. results: overall, 16 fingers of 8 male patients whose one or more fingers were cut due to hand trauma were evaluated in two random groups. the mean daily lengthening rates in groups 1 and 2 were 0.44 ± 0.17 mm and 0.4 ± 0.11 mm, respectively (p = 0.59). the mean time required for 1 cm lengthening was 18.71 ± 4.07 and 23.25 ± 4.56 days in groups 1 and 2, respectively (p = 0.065). the mean value of overall lengthening was 16.25 ± 8.05 mm in group 1 and 16.69 ± 4.89 mm in group 2 (p = 0.89). moreover, some minor complications occurred in 9 samples. conclusions: there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups. however, in the k-wire group, the time needed for 1 cm lengthening was clinically shorter. in addition, fewer complications, such as non-union and length loss, were observed in group 1.