CUSTOMIZED STAPLE FIXATION IN HAND AND WRIST SURGERY

Fixation of small bones in the adult and the child's hands remains a c hallenge. The authors present a technique of bone fixation using custo mized staples made intraoperatively from K-wires (0.9-1.6 mm in diamet er). Their specific purpose was to provide axial alignment and rotatio nal stability for carpal bone fixation and for epiphysiodesis in phala nges. This technique was used in 14 cases (11 adult and three paediatr ic). No bone shattering, implant breakage, implant loosening or infect ion occurred. As K-wires are quite malleable, custom sized and shaped staples which follow the bone contours could be made to give a more ex act fixation. All cases had satisfactory outcomes, achieving the preop erative objectives of bony fixation. This method is safe, precise and technically easy. It is also relatively cheap and only requires simple , standard instruments.