Buried K-wires in paediatric fracture fixation: infection and complication rates in a large cohort.

PURPOSE: Kirschner wires (K-wires) are widely used for fracture fixation in paediatric trauma surgery. Although infectious complications are uncommon, they remain clinically relevant. Subcutaneous burial of K-wires has been proposed to reduce the risk of infection, but robust data from large paediatric cohorts remain limited. This study aimed to evaluate infectious and non-infectious complications following routine use of buried K-wires in children.

METHODS

In this retrospective cohort study, paediatric patients (≤ 18 years) who underwent fracture fixation with routinely buried K-wires at a Level I trauma centre between January 2005 and November 2025 were included. Only patients with complete follow-up, including radiographic assessment and wire removal at the study institution, were analysed. The primary outcome was postoperative infection related to K-wire fixation. Secondary outcomes included non-infectious wound complications, reoperations, and fracture healing.

RESULTS

A total of 634 patients with a mean age of 10.2 ± 4.2 years were included; 96.8% sustained upper-extremity fractures. One superficial infection occurred (0.16%; 95% CI 0.00-0.88%), with no cases of deep infection or osteomyelitis. Secondary skin perforation without infection was observed in 8.36%, and minor wound-healing disturbances in 0.32%. No infection-related reoperations were required, and all fractures healed radiographically.

CONCLUSIONS

Routine subcutaneous burial of K-wires in paediatric fracture fixation was associated with an exceptionally low rate of infectious complications and no cases of osteomyelitis in this large retrospective cohort. However, secondary skin perforation occurred in 8.36% of patients, and planned wire removal under anaesthesia represents an additional procedural burden. Given the predominance of upper-extremity fractures and the absence of an exposed-wire control group, these findings should be interpreted within the studied population and do not establish superiority over exposed K-wires.