Do metacarpal pins begin to show signs of coming out before the doctor actually removes them? i have pins in my fourth and fifth metacarpals because i seperated them from the joints and one has began to come out a little

I'll : I'll leave this question for a hand surgeon to answer, but i'll give my own 2 cents as a podiatrist: pins that protrude from the skin that are used to fixate bone (kirschner or k-wires) commonly get looser and looser the longer they're in. Part of the healing process of bone, in response to the wire placed inside the bone, is to surround the bone with specialized cells that try to wall it off, and thus, it becomes looser. It's the body's natural defense mechanism against the (deliberate) invasion of a foreign object. Since bone takes 6-8 weeks to mend without the need for some sort of fixation, we try to keep the wires in for that period of time. But as time goes on, the law of diminishing returns takes over, and they become loose, less effective, and can even become infected. So the idea is to leave them in long enough to do their job, but not too long as to become infected or so loose that they're not doing their job. Either way, it's not a cause for alarm. I recommend you call your surgeon and inform him that they're loose, though.

Pins : Pins can move, if you are worred call your surgeon.

Sometimes : Sometimes yes. They may get loose and if protruding from the skin may show redness around the pin and possibly some drainage. Let your doctor know. Usually not a big deal and especially if it's time for them to come out anyhow. Best of luck.