Novel Technique to Remove Intramedullary Nails with Difficult End Caps Using Minimal Instrumentation: A Case Report.

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic surgery
• Biomedical engineering

Background:

• Intramedullary nails are common orthopedic implants.
• Removal of fractured or retained implant components can be challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a novel technique for removing difficult intramedullary nail end caps.
• To present a case study demonstrating the technique's efficacy.

Main Methods:

• A threaded guidewire was cannulated into the unreceptive end cap of a piriformis-entry femoral nail.
• The guidewire created an interference fit, allowing the nail and cap to be removed as a single unit.

Main Results:

• The described technique successfully facilitated the removal of the impacted femoral nail end cap.
• The procedure was completed with minimal soft tissue injury and standard surgical instrumentation.

Conclusions:

• A threaded guidewire provides a reproducible and cost-effective method for removing difficult intramedullary nail end caps.
• This technique offers a valuable solution for challenging implant removal scenarios in orthopedic surgery.