Plate mouse

J Clin Orthop Trauma. 2013 Jun;4(2):93-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jcot.2012.09.005. Epub 2012 Sep 21.

Abstract

Fracture shaft humerus when surgically fixed is known to go into non-union and one of the main reasons of this is implant failure. The causes of implant failure may lie in the fracture personality, faulty implant material or choice, dubious surgical technique & faulty mechanics of fixation. Implants may break and cut-through but a unique type of implant migration from one surgical compartment to the other or one anatomical part of body to the other has not been hitherto reported. A 45-year-old male, farmer by occupation, was operated for fracture shaft of humerus 15 years back. He presented to us because of pain due to subcutaneous presence of plate in forearm. X-ray of the elbow with forearm showed that the plate used for fixation of humerus had migrated from one body part to another that is from arm to forearm. The patient on deliberation regarding the pros and cons of surgical treatment options, chose not to get his humerus non-union resolved surgically. This was because he could do his activities related to farming reasonably well.

Keywords: Humerus; Implant failure; Non-union fracture; Plate migration.