Introduction: The aim of the present study was to assess the impact, combined and in interaction, of diameter, threading length and drilling speed on K-wire pullout strength in a synthetic model of a hand bone. Material & methods: The material comprised Sawbones® (20 x20 x50 mm), K-wires (diameter 1.2 mm, 1.5 mm, 1.8 mm; threading 0 mm, 5 mm, 10 mm, 15 mm), a universal chuck with T handle and a drill (speed 0, 320, 500, 830, 1,290 rpm), and tensile testing machine and a digital decision aid. The Sawbones® were drilled, varying diameter, threading and speed. The Statistical Design Of Experiments (SDOE) methodology enabled the number of trials to be reduced from 300 to 70. Tensile tests at 1 mm/sec was imposed on the K-wire up to pullout (pullout strength). Results: There was no interaction between threading length and diameter effects or between drilling speed and diameter effects, but a strong interaction between drilling speed and threading length effects. Conclusion: Before using K-wires for internal fixation in wrist or hand fracture, the surgeon has to select their characteristics, optimal holding power being theoretically ensured by large diameter wires with long threading inserted by a high-speed drill.