Galvanic reactions between cerclage wires and Kuntscher nails.

Four patients are presented who had closed femoral shaft fractures and developed either extensive callus or osteomyelitis following open Kuntscher nailing and cerclage wiring of a butterfly fragment. Both the Kuntscher nail and cerclage wire are made of stainless steel but with different percentages of constituent elements. We looked at the galvanic reactions between the two and showed potential differences of up to 4.5 m.v. in wound drainage fluid. Potential differences in this range have been reported in other studies to be associated with extensive callus and infections associated with stainless steel anode corrosion.