Improvement of the bone-pin interface strength in osteoporotic bone with use of hydroxyapatite-coated tapered external-fixation pins. A prospective, randomized clinical study of wrist fractures

20 female patients with osteoporosis and a wrist fracture were randomized to receive external fixation with either standard tapered pins or hydroxyapatite-coated tapered pins. The strength of fixation was assessed when the external fixation device was removed 6 weeks postoperatively. Two patients managed with standard pins and no patient managed with hydroxyapatite-coated pins had a pin-track infection. The hydroxyapatite pin group had significantly greater mean extraction torque than the standard pin group, and unlike the standard pin group, showed significantly greater mean extraction torque compared to mean insertion torque.