[Implant removal after intramedullary osteosyntheses. Literature review, technical details, and tips and tricks]

We present a literature review about implant removal after intramedullary stabilization of femoral or tibial shaft fractures, upper extremity fractures, and pediatric fractures. A special focus is the difficult implant removal. Implant removal of nails gets difficult when implants are bent or broken. Other difficulties include broken interfaces between nail and removal instrument or when bone ingrowth hinders extraction. A special difficulty is posed by broken solid nails. Implant failure shows typical failure patterns regarding the location of the fatigue fracture. Based on well-documented clinical cases, we describe in detail surgical techniques as well as tips and tricks which help in the difficult circumstances of bent or broken implants in proximal, midshaft, or distal nail segments for a large variety of implants (solid, cannulated, slotted). We also describe an elegant technique for the safe removal of an infected cemented arthrodesis nail. The time required to perform a nail removal can easily exceed the planned amount. Nail removal can result in significant complications like soft tissue damage, fractures, infections, and other problems. Not only because of these problems, the decision on whether or not to remove the nail should be made with great care. Therefore, good communication with the patient and thorough information about risks and benefits are essential.