A Comparative Study on the Impact of Absorbable Screws vs.Metal Implants on Pain Levels and Ankle Function in Patients Undergoing Hammer Toe Deformity Correction with Interphalangeal Arthrodesis

WANG Anquan; JIANG Haoyang; JIANG Wei

doi:10.14033/j.cnki.cfmr.2026.005.016

Abstract：Objective:To compare the clinical effects of absorbable screws and metal internal fixation in interphalangeal joint fusion for hammer toe deformity,with a focus on the degree of postoperative pain,foot and ankle function,and complications.Method:60 patients with hammer toe deformity admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University from January 2023 to January 2025 were selected and divided into the control group(metal internal fixation,n=30)and the observation group(small-diameter absorbable screw internal fixation,n=30)by random number table method.The surgical-related indicators(intraoperative blood loss,operation time,postoperative hospital stay,medical expenses),pain degree at different time points after surgery[visual analogue scale(VAS)],foot and ankle function(Maryland score),and bone metabolism indicators[type Ⅰ collagen carboxyl-terminal peptide(CTX),type Ⅰ procollagen amino-terminal propeptide(PINP),bone-specific Alkaline Phosphatase(BALP)]and the incidence of complications were compared between the two groups.Result:There was no statistically significant difference in intraoperative blood loss,operation time and postoperative hospital stay between the two groups of patients(P＞0.05).The medical expenses of the observation group yuan were lower than those of the control group yuan,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).Three months after the treatment,there was no statistically significant difference in pain level between the two groups(P＞0.05).Four weeks after treatment,the pain degree in the observation group was lower than that in the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).After treatment,the ankle function scores of both groups increased,but the difference was not statistically significant(P＞0.05).After treatment,the carboxyl-terminal peptide(CTX)of type Ⅰ collagen in both groups decreased compared with that before treatment,while the PINP and BALP of type Ⅰ procollagen increased compared with those before treatment.There was no statistically significant difference between the groups(P＞0.05).Compared with the control group,the incidence of complications in the observation group was lower,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).Conclusion:The application of absorbable screws in interphalangeal joint fusion for hammer toe deformity,compared with traditional metal internal fixation,can effectively alleviate the pain of patients in the early postoperative period(4 weeks),significantly reduce medical costs and the incidence of complications,and has comparable effects in promoting the recovery of foot and ankle function and early bone healing.