Fatigue fracture of a DBS extension cable: a pictorial review

Non-deep brain stimulation (DBS) lead hardware complications are quite uncommon. They are observed more with tremor and dystonia patients due to constant strain on the neck region. However, occurrence of such complication over a two-decade period has not been reported. Twenty years after DBS implantation, a patient presented with a wear and tear fracture in the extension cable, which we describe as a fatigue fracture of the extension cable. Delayed hardware complications following DBS implantation is an under-reported entity due to follow-up compliance over the long term. Reporting such complications is essential to understand the durability of the hardware, and to anticipate and manage implant failure.