Pin site care with the Ilizarov circular fixator

Objective: To determine the incidence of pin tract infections in patients who have undergone femoral and tibial lengthening with the Ilizarov fixator.Method: A retrospective study was undertaken of 21 patients who were treated with the Ilizarov method for limb length discrepancies in the lower limbs, between 2001 and 2009. All patients received the same protocol for pin site care. The following information was recorded for each infected pin site: location, whether the implant or the wire or half-pin, time of onset of the first pin site infection in each patient and treatment.Results: Of the 21 patients, 11 were males and 10 were females with an average of 19.7 years (range 2�48 years). Sixty-two wires and 95 half-pins were studied. Half-pin infection site was 6.3%; wire site infection was 18.7%. Total pin site infection was 25%. Periarticular pin site infections accounted for 13.6% and diaphyseal infections 1.36%. Of the 21 patients studied, 19 had pin tract infections.Conclusion: Pin tract infections are common with external fixation. The consequences of pin tract infections can range from trivial to severe. Most pin site infections respond well to local pin care and oral antibiotics.