MECHANICAL STAMPING - A CAUSE OF FATIGUE FRACTURE

Failure analysis of a retrieved flexible intramedullary nail was perfo rmed by standard optical and scanning electron microscopy, Results sho w that the corrosion fatigue at the stamped label caused the nail frac ture, The authors strongly recommend that the American Society for Tes ting of Materials standard F86-91 be modified to exclude mechanical st amping from the repertoire for labeling implants, Surgeons also must a void using mechanically stamped hardware that will be subject to cycli c loads in vivo.