Bizarre allegation of negligence in fabricated pin migration--a case report

Kirschner's wires (popularly known as 'K-wires' or 'pins') are used commonly in various orthopaedic surgical fixations. Around the shoulder joint such pins are used for fixation of acromioclavicular joint, sternoclavicular joint, proximal humerus and clavicle. In such fixations, spontaneous loosening and extraction of pins would not cause as much anxiety and worry to the surgeon as a pin which breaks and migrates within the body. Such alarm is not just due to the potential damage that the migrating pin can cause, but also due to fear of misinterpretation of the event in legal suits as negligence and the subsequent claims for heavy damages. We present here a case where a patient attempted to raise allegation of negligence (probably planning subsequent claim for damages) by fabricating pin migration. The literature of such an unusual case is reviewed in brief.