Table 2.
Details of grade and experience of surgeon and methods used for each procedure by treatment group (Kirschner wires or volar locking plate fixation). Figures are numbers (percentage) unless stated otherwise*
| Wire (n=230) | Plate (n=231) | |
|---|---|---|
| Surgeon grade: | ||
| Consultant | 60 (26) | 71 (31) |
| Specialist trainee | 102 (44) | 106 (46) |
| Staff grade/associate specialist | 30 (13) | 29 (13) |
| Not recorded | 34 (15) | 20 (9) |
| Perioperative antibiotic: | ||
| No | 58 (25) | 19 (8) |
| Yes | 165 (71) | 192 (83) |
| Operated wrist: | ||
| Right | 101 (440 | 101 (44) |
| Left | 123 (53) | 124 (54) |
| Intraoperative problems: | ||
| No | 222 (96) | 219 (95) |
| Yes | 4 (2) | 4 (2) |
| Surgeon experience (No of prior operations): | ||
| 0 | 0 (0) | 1 (0) |
| <5 | 11 (5) | 8 (3) |
| 5-10 | 16 (7) | 23 (10) |
| 11-20 | 25 (11) | 30 (13) |
| >20 | 171 (74) | 158 (68) |
| Median (IQR) operation time (min) | 31 (24-45) | 66 (50-85) |
| Median (IQR) length of stay (days) | 1 (0-1) | 1 (0-1) |
| Wires | ||
| No of wires used: | ||
| 1 | 1 (0) | — |
| 2 | 96 (42) | — |
| 3 | 105 (46) | — |
| >3 | 5 (2) | — |
| Wire size (mm): | ||
| 1.6 | 187 (81) | — |
| 1.1 | 1 (0) | — |
| Other | 12 (5) | — |
| Technique | ||
| Kapandji | 54 (23) | - |
| Interfragmentry | 78 (34) | — |
| Mixed technique | 71 (31) | — |
| Plates | ||
| No of distal locking screws used: | ||
| 3 | — | 20 (9) |
| 4 | — | 62 (27) |
| 5 | — | 42 (18) |
| >5 | — | 88 (38) |
| Proximal screw | ||
| Locking | — | 103 (45) |
| Non-locking | — | 110 (48) |
IQR=interquartile range.
*Where numbers do not add to treatment group size, it indicates that some data were missing.