Medical Dictionary

Kirschner wire

noun Kirsch·ner wire \ ˈkərsh-nər-ˌwīr \

medical Definition of Kirschner wire

: metal wire inserted through bone and used to achieve internal traction or immobilization of bone fractures

Biographical Note for kirschner wire

Kirschner \ˈkirsh-nər\, Martin (1879–1942), German surgeon. Kirschner was responsible for developing a number of innovative surgical operations. He developed an operation for hernia (1910), an operation on the patella (1911), and the first successful surgical treatment of pulmonary embolism (1924). In 1909 he introduced the use of wires for skeletal traction in the treatment of fracture.