Revision of failed distal interphalangeal arthrodesis complicated by retained headless screw

Arthrodesis of the distal interphalangeal joint is a well-accepted treatment for painful arthritis. Although headless screw fixation across the distal interphalangeal joint is an overall effective method for achieving bony union, failures and nonunions still occur. We present a salvage technique to address both the retained headless screw within the medullary canal as well as the persistent nonunion.