DIFFICULTY IN REMOVAL OF CERTAIN INTRAMEDULLARY NAILS

Intramedullary nailing is the most common treatment for displaced diap hyseal fractures of the femur and tibia, Gerhard Kuntscher introduced the technique of intramedullary nailing to clinical practice in the 19 40s, and this method has been the focus of many authors with regard to indications, technique, complications, and outcome. The five cases pr esented here represent a complication not often reported in recent yea rs: the difficulty in removing an intact intramedullary nail, Inspecti on of the interlocking nails in four of the cases presented reveals a specific design characteristic: the cross sectional design of the nail prevents the distal, unslotted end of the nail from being extracted f rom the medullary cavity, This problem is preventable by a change in n ail design or the development of absorbable implants.