Plates and screws: Leave them in or get them out?

[MooChooser 0]

Ive been given an appointment to have the metal in my leg taken out.
I didnt ask for the operation, just recieved a letter one day saying I was booked in.

The only trouble I get from the metalwork is when im in bed and my leg is resting on the screw heads. Apart from that, I dont really notice it.

The consultant who put the metalwork in seemed to think that if my leg needed to break again, it would do so above the plate but the consultant who will be taking it out says that the metal could cause greater trauma if I were to brake my leg again.

There must be a lot of people who have had to make this decision. What did you do and why?

[namgrunt 0]

out..fowel metal out

I had right forearm crushed off and re-attached

it WILL cause problems in about 12/18 months after full recovery

pain..point tenderness ..swelling etc.
plus its neat to save and show people

..

59 YEARS,OVERWEIGHT,BALDIND,X-GRUNT
LAST MIL. JUMP VIET-NAM(QUAN-TRI)
www.dzmemories.com

[NtheSeaOrSky 0]

My experience is the same as yours, only notice it when the leg is resting on a hard object (or I bang it because I am clumsy). It has been 3.5 years since I got 'reinforced' and no other problems or discomfort. I have also sustained some nasty impacts to that leg with no ill effects. My doc said it was up to my discretion, but he recommended only taking it out if I had complications from it.

Life is not fair and there are no guarantees...

[CSpenceFLY 1]

I would think that each case might be a little different.


.

[skinnyshrek 0]

Doctors try not to remove any metal as if its wedged in tight it can be a pain in the ass.. I have a rod in my arm don't really notice it.. Depends if you can put up with the little grief

http://www.skydivethefarm.com

do you realize that when you critisize people you dont know over the internet, you become part of a growing society of twats? ARE YOU ONE OF THEM?

[jbrasher 0]

I also worried about refracturing with the metal in. I've heard that if you do the same area the metal will shred stuff

So I had the 2 plates and 5 screws taken out about year or so after they where put in. The arthritis is a pain but that's got nothing to do with taking the metal out.

The next fracture was 2 plates and 11 pins in the rt leg.
They were uncomfortable too, out they came.

I've had a couple of plates and 11 pins in the lt leg and I've left them in; they are almost unnoticeable.

I've decided that I shouldn't be breaking anything anymore

Once you have the metal taken ut you;ll need a few months for the holes to file in and that part is probably stronger than the original.

Good Luck.

Red, White and Blue Skies,

John T. Brasher D-5166

[Tonto 1]

Out.

I broke my femur really badly - pretty much smashed it to bits between the two heads. I had a plate and 14 screws. Looked a bit like a rake in my leg on x ray. It made airport security really tricky too.

A rebreak would REALLY have compromised me with a full recovery never expected and amputation a possibility.

So I had it taken out. That was 17 years ago. As an aside, if you do have it taken out - think about any other surgery you may need at the same time. May as well get a full overhall while you're out...

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[selbbub78 0]

i have screws and a rod in my femur. I was told by the doctor that it's better to keep it in! He says my leg is stronger with it in. Of course, if I did break it to the point of shattering my femur, i'm screwed, but my doctor says that with the metal it's stronger than ever. He told me if it really bothered me, I could get surgery to get it removed, but it's not his choice. I don't have any problems at the airport either. Maybe it's because it's titanium, I don't know.

CReW Skies,

"Women fake orgasms - men fake whole relationships" – Sharon Stone
"The world is my dropzone" (wise crewdog quote)
"The light dims, until full darkness pierces into the world."-KDM

[upndownshop 0]

6-19-1993, shoved the fib/tib out the side and bottom of my right foot. Completely destroyed the ankle. Plate and 5 screws, I kept hitting the screws on objects. So after 3 years they removed them. For me it was a simple operation and I walked out that day. No problems having the metal removed. My ankle on the other hand is a different story, it was never right, fusion or replacement are my options now.

I would say remove the metal.

As far as rebreaking, my brother double compounded the right fib/tib, 15 years later he did it again, this time they broke 4" above the first ones.

good luck

[Phillbo 11]

I had a Tibia Nail installed last june, it's held in place with 2 screws at the knee and 2 screws at the ankle. The doc said I can have it removed if it bothers me but since I do not live in a cold climate he does not expect that it will. The surgery to remove the rod is a big deal so I doubt it will ever come out. He can yank the screws in his office if they bug me but so far I have not had any issues with them.

I plan to keep my metal in .

[dharma1976 0]

get it out and make a necklace out of it that you can whack the idiots that wont learn from your mistakes with

Cheers

Dave

http://www.skyjunky.com

CSpenceFLY - I can't believe the number of people willing to bet their life on someone else doing the right thing.

[Icon134 0]

My brother has a screw loose... in his leg... So there are potential problems.

Scott

Livin' on the Edge... sleeping with my rigger's wife...

[phoenixlpr 0]

I've broken my fibula. I had a plate and 5 screws, but only one, the longest screw has been removed. I was told that they can stay, because they are in a safe place. So I still have 1 steel plate and 4 screws in my leg. I had no problem with flight security checks, not even the most sensitive scanner could detect it.

[BMFin 0]

I have a titanium rod inside my femur. Its now been about 10 months since it was put there.

I asked my doctor when should it be taken off and he said not yet at least. He suggested it would stay there for atleast 1.5 years

I want mine taken off. Mostly becouse if I fracture it again I might be screwed. Also I can still notice it in my pelvis when lying on a hard surface on my side. But thats not a big issue.

[tigra 0]

Well, this is what my orthopedic surgeon told me a few years back. He was strongly in favor of hardware removal in my case and brought it up while I was still in a cast, and this was part of his logic: I was young and healthy enough to be a good candidate for surgery and healing well enough that bone growth wasn't an issue. I also led a relatively active lifestyle as a skydiver. (I think the more active you are, the greater chance the hardware will bug you down the road.....)

In really simple terms he said bone doesn't grow where the metal is, but it will grow back once the metal has been removed. And bone is better than metal. He didn't go into infection risks (which there are if you keep the metal in) or what might happen if I rebroke my leg, but I've heard horror stories about both.

Removing it is a really simple procedure for most people, you may even be able to walk (not crutch) out of the hospital the same day its done. It will take a few weeks for the holes in your bone to fill in, but you'll probably feel a difference without the hardware before the incision heals, even if you don't think its bugging you all that much now.

[mjosparky 3]

There is a big difference between having a plate and having a rod. One is on the outside of the bone and the other is inside the bone.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[Dumpster 0]

I've got a plate and a bunch of screws in my left ankle - Doc said if isn't giving me any problems, there's no need to take it out. So if it ain't broke, don't fix it. (Pun sort of intended - ) I haven't been on a commercial flight yet, don't know what the metal detector is gonna do.

Easy Does It

[BMFin 0]

It wont go..

[Peej 0]

I was so bummed the first time i went through a metal detector and the metal in my leg didn't go off.

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[Katherine 0]

I had 2 plates taken out of my arm - but beware, that operation was way worse than the one to put them in. Something about muscle growing around them or something?
x

Leeds University Skydiving Club
www.skydiveleeds.co.uk

[Peej 0]

I made apost about this not so long ago, there are a few opinions in there worth looking at. You can find it here:

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1930463;search_string=Metal;#1930463

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[desea 0]

I took my right femur and nicely created 5 pieces out of it. This is supported by a giant rod (titanium) with 2 screws at the knee and 2 in the hip. I was also lucky eough to have my hand break off the ulna and radius, so this is held nicely together with a rod and plate and 10 screws. It has been 6.5 months and my trauma ortho docs say that the hardware may be removed 1 year after original surgery. The screws out would be a week off work. The rod out would be crutches for about 8 weeks. The question is....is another surgery really worth more rehab and 8 weeks out of the sport? My right butt gets numb if I spend any time on it, and my hand is arthritic, but at least I am put back together. Will I elect to have any of it out? Nope, but who knows what the future holds. I would not like to redo the therapy which would be required.

Good Luck on your decision!

Sometimes Femur is a Verb
Sarah...Desea Rodriguez

[MooChooser 0]

Well, I had it all out on the 15th and im pretty much back to normal now.
The stitches are coming out on tuesday, then I guess thats that.

Cheers.

[desea 0]

Glad to hear you are back to normal. Do not know if my random aches and pains would be better without the hardware. It is a hard call to make. Anyway you look at it, I have at least 6 months left before they will consider removal. I guess time will tell.

Good Luck

Sometimes Femur is a Verb
Sarah...Desea Rodriguez

[bozo 0]

Quote

Glad to hear you are back to normal. Do not know if my random aches and pains would be better without the hardware. It is a hard call to make. Anyway you look at it, I have at least 6 months left before they will consider removal. I guess time will tell.

Good Luck

As a skydiver with much "experience" in this realm I will give you what I know. Implanted metal is subject to barometric change....whereas bones dont change. Those of us with longtime implanted prosthetics will attest, that prior to a big weather change or a slow moving front, there is a lot of aches and pain.
If you can afford it and can weather the procedure get the metal out. I had two 14 inch rods in my spine that my Ortho had to remove due to the pain. Believe me I wouldnt have undergone another back surgery if it wasnt necessary.

bozo

bozo
Pain is fleeting. Glory lasts forever. Chicks dig scars.