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Case Reports
. 2023 Oct 27;13(4).
doi: 10.2106/JBJS.CC.23.00048. eCollection 2023 Oct 1.

Removal of a Bent Humeral Intramedullary Nail: A Case Report and Review of Removal Techniques

D W van Oyen  1   2 , W A Kernkamp  1 , G van Molenbroek  1 , T Jakma  1 , W M P F Bosman  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Removal of a Bent Humeral Intramedullary Nail: A Case Report and Review of Removal Techniques

D W van Oyen et al. JBJS Case Connect. .

Abstract

Case: We present a case of a (65°) bent intramedullary nail (IMN) in a humerus after a pseudoarthrosis in a 65-year-old man. Bent IMNs have been described in femurs and tibias, but are considered rare. Possibly even rarer is the bending of a humeral IMN. This report provides an overview of removal techniques and our approach to this uncommon complication: open sectioning of the bent IMN and 2-piece extraction through the fracture site.

Conclusion: Removal of a bent or broken IMN is a rare and challenging surgical problem. A bent humeral IMN requires a different and more careful approach for extraction than bent nails in the lower extremity, given the greater potential for neurovascular disruption.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: The Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest forms are provided with the online version of the article (http://links.lww.com/JBJSCC/C232).

References

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