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Hardware stays or goes?

3K views 11 replies 10 participants last post by  13pumps 
#1 ·
How many of you are keeping your screws, rods, plates or any other pieces it took to put you back together? I have a plate and 8 screws on my left clavicle from a mtb crash and am debating on leaving the stuff in in taking it out. Thanks
 
#2 ·
I work in the O.R. I have taken out alot of plates and screws in My time.Sometime it's a ***** to take them out,and it looks like it would hurt more than the first operation?:eek: That saying I have 8 screws and a plate in my clavical to.
If i get mine taken out, im going to ask my Dr. to put bone Putty in the holes so the holes will fill in faster You should to:thumbsup :thumbsup:
 
#3 ·
I have to leave mine in because of the break. Even if I could get it taken out I don't think I would because I never want to go through that type of surgery again nor do I want to risk reinjuring myself. I have 3 and a half more weeks until I can walk again. I have a plate and 11 screws holding my tibial plateau together. If you can live normal with it in then I would leave it.
 
#5 ·
Plate and screws in right leg...Took a hit in softball a couple years ago and I couldnt walk... ER guy was like 'Whoa , you cant leave stuff like that in there, go see an ortho spec.'.
So I did. The plate had broken due to fatigue, not the hit. The screw heads have popped free on the plate...The pain went away shortly thereafter..
Orthopedic guy? He said if it doesnt cause pain or discomfort he wasnt touching it with a ten foot pole.
Your case? Ask your doctor, in my case it hasnt been a problem...
 
#7 ·
rob_s said:
I have to leave mine in because of the break. Even if I could get it taken out I don't think I would because I never want to go through that type of surgery again nor do I want to risk reinjuring myself.........
Amen! This surgery hurt FAR worse than the injury. Furthermore, my Ti is holding dead bone in place. The Dr. said "if it isn't causing you pain or discomfort then leave it in." I believe I'm stuck with it regardless.
 

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#8 · (Edited)
the hardware stays

if it is not bothering you.

But be honest about what bothers you. There will always be some discomfort at times due
to weather and the like. My concern about having my plate and 8 screws removed from my
right clavicle is that the recovery time from the second operation might actually be longer
than from the first since you shouldn't do anything strenuous until the holes fill in. It would
be hell to have to go through the whole procedure again and the possible complications
the unhealed holes may present.

By all means, have it xrayed again for some peace of mind that everything's still tight.

Edit:
Just remembered something my doctor was explaining to me about my healed broken
pelvis. We were both examining my xray and to me it looked like it was still fractured.
He explained the colour difference between new bone and old bone. The fracture had
healed and filled in but appeared as a very pale gray whereas the surrounding bone
was a dark gray. He told me that after about 2 to 3 years it would be hard to see the
fracture in an xray. So...anyone considering removing their hardware should wait at
least a couple of years for your new bone to become old bone.

michael
 
#9 ·
30 years now with two Ti plates and a handful of screws in my right forearm after a nasty compound fracture that pretty well shattered both ulna and radius. Recent-ish x-rays don't show anything abnormal other than the hardware is pretty well calcified over and imbedded in bony stuff now. I'm unsure in a bad fall if it would be beneficial or detrimental to avoiding or incurring a break. Either way, it's staying unless it MUST be removed for some reason. I have to imagine removal would be quite traumatic at this stage.
 
#10 ·
13pumps said:
How many of you are keeping your screws, rods, plates or any other pieces it took to put you back together? I have a plate and 8 screws on my left clavicle from a mtb crash and am debating on leaving the stuff in in taking it out.
I once had three screws and a pin in my ankle. They were removed within a year of being put in for the injury that I had sustained. As I recall, my ankle was sore for a couple of days after the surgery to remove the hardware, but it wasn't too bad.

Anyway, as others have said, find out what your surgeon recommends.
 
#11 ·
I had planned on leaving my plate and screws in place. They've been there two years holding my right clavicle together, and given me no trouble. The last surgeon did an outstanding job putting me back together after the first guy kind of botched the job. It took four surgeries to get the job done right. This June I crashed and broke it again. The break is right next to where the plate ends, causing a stress concentration. Now it's a wait-and-see situation to find out if it will heal properly. I may have to have the old plate taken out, and a new longer one put in to bridge the new fracture. We'll see. Any how, you may want to have yours taken out if you plan to keep riding. Crashes do happen.
 
#12 ·
Wow, sorry to hear about your mishap but what you describe is exactly what I am affraid of and that is a break at the end of the plate. There is not much bone left at the end of my plate on the shoulder end. You are right crashes do happen. I am making an appointment tomorrow to talk to my surgeon and see what he thinks. Good Luck.
 
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