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Metal pins no better than traditional plaster cast for a broken wrist (Cast works just as well for 7 out of 8 patients and doesn’t require surgery like pins except for 1 out of 8 patients)
Medical Xpress / British Medical Journal ^ | Jan. 20, 2022 | Matthew L Costa et al

Posted on 01/20/2022 7:49:34 PM PST by ConservativeMind

Using metal K-wires (commonly known as 'pins') to hold broken wrist bones in place while they heal are no better than a traditional moulded plaster cast.

Surgery is expensive and carries risk for the patient, whereas a moulded plaster cast is cheaper but may not provide the same functional outcome.

To find out which of these treatments is superior, researchers tracked the progress of 500 adults with a displaced wrist fracture at 36 NHS hospitals between January 2017 and March 2019.

Other (secondary) outcomes were PRWE score at three and six months, quality of life, and complications, including the need for later surgery.

A total of 395 (79%) patients completed the follow-up. While both groups showed improvement over the 12-month period, no statistically significant difference was seen in the PRWE score at three, six or 12 months (average score 21.2 in the cast group compared with 20.7 in the K-wire group).

Health related quality of life also showed a similar pattern of recovery in both groups over time, and again the difference was not significant.

However, one in eight patients treated with a moulded cast needed later surgery for loss of fracture position in the first six weeks after their injury compared with just one patient in the K-wire group.

As such, they conclude: "Surgical fixation with K-wires did not provide better wrist function at 12 months compared with a moulded cast, indicating that a cast is an acceptable first line treatment following manipulation of a dorsally displaced fracture of the distal radius."

They add: "Cast treatment avoids the expense and risks of surgical fixation for seven out of eight patients. However, careful follow-up is needed as one in eight patients treated with a cast required subsequent surgical intervention as the fracture reduction could not be maintained."

(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...


TOPICS: Health/Medicine
KEYWORDS:
Looks like a cast is the best way to go, and it won’t set of metal detectors.
1 posted on 01/20/2022 7:49:34 PM PST by ConservativeMind
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To: Pete from Shawnee Mission; Mazey; ckilmer; goodnesswins; Jane Long; BusterDog; jy8z; ...

The “Take Charge Of Your Health” Ping List

This potentially high volume ping list is for health articles and studies which describe something you or your doctor, when informed, may be able to implement for your benefit.

Please email or private message me if you want on or off of this list.

2 posted on 01/20/2022 7:49:58 PM PST by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
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To: ConservativeMind

“Looks like a cast is the best way to go, “

For 7 of 8.


3 posted on 01/20/2022 7:52:34 PM PST by TexasGator (UF)
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To: ConservativeMind

I broke a leg once. Compound fracture of the Tibia(big shin bone) and shattered fibula(small muscle anchor mainly) and I had good insurance at the time. They told me I’d be able to walk in half the time if I had a rod inserted in the tibia as opposed to a cast. Wonder if it was all about money?

Never had a problem with metal detectors.


4 posted on 01/20/2022 7:58:39 PM PST by Pollard (PureBlood -- https://youtube.com/watch?v=VXm0fkDituE)
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To: ConservativeMind

I got a “Colles Fracture” about 20 years ago by falling off a fence (it’s a typical “high energy” fracture common to motorcyclists and snowboarders). No pins; they set it and casted it. Never did get the full range of motion back (maybe 10 degrees short), it’s a bit arthritic, and it’s for weird slight twist to it (that only I see). When the cast is on, you don’t see these things forming. When the cast comes off, it’s “Oh!”


5 posted on 01/20/2022 8:08:16 PM PST by ProtectOurFreedom (81 million votes...and NOT ONE "Build Back Better" hat)
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To: ConservativeMind

I have a friend who broke a hip and had to have temporary ‘pins’ put in.

When they came out, she had them worked into jewelry- apparently in the hospital she learned of an artisan who specialized in that.

Seems weird to me, like ‘cremation jewelry’; but whatever, it turned into a nice pendant.


6 posted on 01/20/2022 8:09:12 PM PST by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, if you can keep it.")
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To: ConservativeMind
Yeah, but pins make so much more money for the medical-industrial complex.

How dare you!

7 posted on 01/20/2022 8:11:27 PM PST by JennysCool ("It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled." - Mark Twain)
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To: ConservativeMind
Here are what the pins look like.....

Blnk
8 posted on 01/20/2022 8:17:26 PM PST by minnesota_bound (I need more money. )
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To: TexasGator

Well, that 1 out of 8 that needs surgery is simply the same as the wire operations that all required surgery.


9 posted on 01/20/2022 8:30:01 PM PST by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

I wonder if you could now get the surgery to correct it.

You are like the 1 out of 8 in this study.


10 posted on 01/20/2022 8:31:53 PM PST by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
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To: ConservativeMind

11 posted on 01/20/2022 8:38:10 PM PST by Magnum44 (...against all enemies, foreign and domestic...)
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To: ConservativeMind

I thought about that when the cast was removed, but decided to just live with it. It hasn’t caused any serious problems...or minor problems for that matter. Just a few minor annoyances.


12 posted on 01/20/2022 8:41:15 PM PST by ProtectOurFreedom (81 million votes...and NOT ONE "Build Back Better" hat)
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To: ConservativeMind

Perhaps so. I have to wonder if we will see a downgrade of medical care /procedures for the sake of saving $ and call it equal/superior. Perhaps saying ‘there’s nothing else we can do’, when there is.

Not saying that is happening here. But, I’m almost expecting to see it soon.


13 posted on 01/20/2022 9:44:26 PM PST by HollyB
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To: Pollard

Titanium rod? That is a non-magnetic metal that isn’t rejected by biology..


14 posted on 01/21/2022 6:26:40 AM PST by GingisK
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To: GingisK

Yeah I think so.


15 posted on 01/21/2022 6:28:35 AM PST by Pollard (PureBlood -- https://youtube.com/watch?v=VXm0fkDituE)
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To: GingisK; Pollard
Titanium rod? That is a non-magnetic metal that isn’t rejected by biology..

I had surgery to correct a 90-degree twist of my R index finger (tobogganing accident). They put a tiny pin in the joint, and it's been there for over 40 years now. It's only detectable in an x-ray of my hand.

16 posted on 01/21/2022 6:37:05 AM PST by COBOL2Java (Fauci is a despicable little turd)
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