Quick Summary  

• A 58-year-old woman had a fall on Tuesday morning because of dizziness and fractured the radius bone in her wrist.
• This is a very common type of fracture.
• In the past, this type of fracture required open surgery with a plate.
• In this case, we used K-wire pinning with local anesthesia and C-arm X-ray guidance.
• We first reduced the fracture using traction and counter-traction.
• We then inserted wires to keep the fracture in the proper position.
• The procedure took roughly 10 minutes.
• The two wires will stay for approximately 21–30 days before we remove them.

What Happened to the 58 age Patient After the Fall?  

This 58-year-old lady had a fall on Tuesday morning because of dizziness. The fall resulted in a fracture of the radius bone in her wrist.

This is a very common type of fracture. In the past, this type of fracture required open surgery with a plate.

Nowadays, major surgery is mostly unnecessary in cases like this. The treatment is still a surgery, but we call it pinning.

For this patient, we used K-wire pinning to hold the fracture in the proper position.

Why Did the Wrist Fracture Need Fixation?  

After giving local anesthesia, we applied traction and counter-traction to reduce the fracture.

The fracture reduced nicely.

But if we leave it like this, it will not stay in position. So, we need to fix it by inserting wires so that it stays in the proper position.

This is why we used K-wire fixation.

What Is K-Wire Pinning?  

K-wire pinning is the procedure we use to hold the fractured bone in the proper position with wires.

We administer local anesthesia, use a C-arm X-ray machine to guide the procedure, and insert the K-wires.

The wires remain protruding outside the wrist temporarily. Once the fracture becomes sticky and healing is well underway, we remove them.

We describe this as a keyhole surgery, and patients do not need to be afraid of the procedure.

How Do We Perform K-Wire Fixation?  

We follow a step-by-step process during the procedure:

Step	What We Do
Local anesthesia	We administer local anesthesia before starting the procedure.
Fracture reduction	We apply traction and counter-traction to reduce the fracture.
C-arm guidance	We use the X-ray machine to guide the procedure.
K-wire insertion	We insert the wire to hold the fracture in the proper position.
Reduction check	We check the reduction after introducing the wire.
Stable fixation	We confirm that the fixation is stable.
Procedure completion	Two wires remain protruding outside the wrist.

We use the C-arm while inserting the wire so that we can guide its position with X-ray assistance.

Once we successfully introduce the wire, we check the reduction. In this case, the reduction was good.

How Long Does the K-Wire Surgery Take?  

The procedure takes roughly 10 minutes.

We first give local anesthesia, reduce the fracture, insert the K-wire under X-ray guidance and check the fixation.

The patient remains under local anesthesia during the procedure, so they do not feel pain during the wire insertion.

How Long Do the K-Wires Stay in the Wrist?  

The K-wires remain in place while the fracture heals.

We initially explain that we remove them after 21 days. We also explain that the two wires can stay for approximately 21 to 30 days until the bone heals properly.

Once the fracture becomes sticky and healing is well underway, we remove the wires.

What Happens After Wrist Pinning Surgery?  

After completing the fixation, we keep the wrist stable.

We do not allow wrist movements, but finger movements are permitted.

The two wires remain outside the wrist during the healing period. Once the bone heals properly, we remove the wires.

How Is Radius Fracture Surgery Different From Earlier Plate Surgery?  

In the past, this type of fracture required open surgery with a plate.

In this case, we used K-wire pinning instead.

The K-wires hold the fracture in the proper position while the bone heals. We also use the C-arm X-ray machine to guide the procedure.

Dr. Mithran describes this approach as a keyhole surgery that helps avoid major surgery in this case.

Distal Radius Fracture Surgery in Madurai  

This case involved distal radius fracture surgery in Madurai at Muthu Hospital Madurai.

We treated the patient’s radius fracture using K-wire pinning. We gave local anesthesia, reduced the fracture using traction and counter-traction, and used C-arm X-ray guidance while inserting the wires.

Muthu Hospital has been a pioneer in Orthopaedics since 1953.

If you have suffered a wrist fracture, an orthopedic consultation can help assess the fracture and determine the appropriate treatment approach.

Frequently Asked Questions About Distal Radius Fracture Surgery  

What is K-wire pinning?  

K-wire pinning uses wires to hold a fractured bone in the proper position while it heals.

Why do we use K-wire fixation for a wrist fracture?  

In this case, the fracture would not stay in position after reduction. So, we inserted wires to keep the fracture in the proper position.

How long does K-wire surgery take?  

The procedure takes roughly 10 minutes.

Does K-wire surgery cause pain?  

We perform the procedure under local anesthesia, so the patient does not feel pain during the wire insertion.

How long do K-wires stay in the wrist?  

The wires stay for approximately 21–30 days until the bone heals properly. We then remove them.

Can we move the fingers after wrist pinning surgery?  

Yes. We do not allow wrist movements, but finger movements are permitted.

Why do we use a C-arm during K-wire fixation?  

We use the C-arm X-ray machine to guide the wire insertion and check the position of the fracture during the procedure.

What is broken wrist surgery?  

In this case, broken wrist surgery refers to the K-wire pinning procedure we use to hold the fractured radius in the proper position.

Where can we get wrist fracture surgery in Madurai?  

Muthu Hospital Madurai provides orthopedic care in Madurai. Patients with a wrist fracture can consult an orthopedic specialist for assessment and treatment.

Consult for Wrist Fracture Treatment at Muthu Hospital Madurai  

If you have suffered a wrist injury or fracture, we recommend an orthopedic consultation to assess the fracture.

At Muthu Hospital Madurai, we can assess the fracture and discuss the appropriate treatment approach.

If you are looking for wrist fracture surgery in Madurai, consult our orthopedic team to understand the condition and available treatment approach.

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About the Author  

Dr. M. Mithran  

Orthopaedic & Joint Replacement Surgeon

Dr. M. Mithran is an Orthopaedic & Joint Replacement Surgeon at Muthu Hospital Madurai.

Muthu Hospital has served patients in Madurai since 1953 and provides orthopaedic care.

The treatment details in this article come from Dr. Mithran’s explanation of a radius fracture in the wrist and its treatment with K-wire pinning.