Hi,I am Dr. Shanthi.E (General & Family Physician). I will be looking into your question and guiding you through the process. Please write your question below.
When Should K-wires Be Removed After A An Elbow Surgery?
Hi Doctor, I had an accident and suffered from olecranon fracture. I had a surgery and have 2 k-wires holding my bone in place.its been 3 weeks now and my surgeon asked me to visit him next week to see if the k-wires can be removed. I am 22 and can k-wires be removed during 4th week? Do I need to wear cast after k-wires removal? Will I be able to achieve full movement in my elbow and how long will it take?
It depends on the type of fracture you had; and as I understand you have a cerclage with K-wires.
Normally the fracture consolidation occurs at 10-12 weeks, but it is necessary to perform an RX control at 4 weeks to determine if the callus of the fracture is occurring.
I do not think it is wise to remove the osteosynthesis material yet, without determining the state of the fracture.
After the removal of the material, you should only use a sling and the most important thing is to recover the functionality of the joint through physiotherapy with passive exercises in the beginning and active later, but around 10 weeks.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
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When Should K-wires Be Removed After A An Elbow Surgery?
Hi, It depends on the type of fracture you had; and as I understand you have a cerclage with K-wires. Normally the fracture consolidation occurs at 10-12 weeks, but it is necessary to perform an RX control at 4 weeks to determine if the callus of the fracture is occurring. I do not think it is wise to remove the osteosynthesis material yet, without determining the state of the fracture. After the removal of the material, you should only use a sling and the most important thing is to recover the functionality of the joint through physiotherapy with passive exercises in the beginning and active later, but around 10 weeks. Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.