How to extract a broken cephalomedullary nail safely? A case presentation and review of the literature

Abstract

Application rate of cephalomedullary nails in treatment of pertrochanteric fractures has been increased. Although cephalomedullary nail breakage is rare, the occurrence is catastrophic and removingdistal fragment of the broken nail is always a challenging issue. Many techniques have been described for extracting broken nails, but most of them are used for conventional femoral nails. Furthermore, many of these techniques require specific extraction devices. Herein, we introduce a simple technique to remove the distal fragment of broken cephalomedullary nail with the least equipment requirements.