Bury K-wires? Sunday Quiz Winners, Trending Cosmetic Articles.

Should we bury our K-wires or keep them exposed? Our Fellows debated this in an upcoming episode of Behind the 'Fella. One side argued that exposed K-wires, if managed well, avoid additional surgeries and reduce hospital stays. The other side said buried K-wires reduce infections and increase comfort.

We ran a Twitter poll, and nearly 80% of you prefer keeping K-wires exposed.

So, what’s the deal with the "Buried K-wire paradox"? It’s all about balancing short-term surgical efficiency with potential long-term patient outcomes:

• Exposing K-wires: This method avoids another surgery, saving operating room time and hospital stays. It allows for quick, easy removal in a clinical setting without extra intervention. It’s practical and resource-efficient.
• Burying K-wires: This method reduces pin-site infections and increases patient comfort. While it requires another procedure to remove the wires, it eliminates the discomfort and appearance of exposed metal.

The paradox is that each approach's potential benefits have the potential to undermine the other's, making it difficult to determine which method provides the best overall outcome. This inherent conflict between immediate efficiency and potential long-term benefits creates a genuine paradox in surgical decision-making

This debate isn't just about K-wires; it highlights broader issues in surgical practices that are hard to prove in trials but impact our work. It raises questions like dissolvable vs. non-dissolvable sutures, showing how we balance evidence-based practices with real-world experience and resource limits.

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🎉 Exciting News! Our new podcast, "Behind the Fella," is now live on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!

Join us for exclusive insights from our team meetings and engaging discussions on plastic surgery with our fellows. Get a unique, behind-the-scenes look at our practice!

🌟 The first episode drops tomorrow! 🌟

We’ll explore Ring Avulsion Injury, AI Image Creation, Writing Op-Notes, Reading Patterns, and debate whether Steri-Strips should be applied longitudinally or transversely.

Our team has been hard at work creating fantastic new content for our community, including fresh articles, clinical cases, and surgical techniques focused on tumors. Don't miss our recent article on Seymour Fractures

Seymour Fractures

Definition
A Seymour fracture is an open, displaced distal phalangeal physeal fracture with an associated nailbed injury.

Anatomy
They present as mallet fingers with a flexion deformity due to the level of flexor and extensor tendons at the distal phalanx.

Clinical Features
Crush injuries associated with a nail plate avulsion and proximal nail bed interposition at the fracture site.

Investigations
X-rays are required for adequate diagnosis with distinct features seen on the lateral view.

Treatment
Treatment is multimodal and involves irrigation, debridement, reduction, fixation, and antibiotics.

Complications
Include osteomyelitis, nail dystrophy, non-union or malunion, and growth disturbances of the distal phalanx.

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