Surgical management of tibia refracture with a bent intramedullary nail: A case report and review of the literature

SAGE Open Med Case Rep. 2024 Jan 9:12:2050313X231225338. doi: 10.1177/2050313X231225338. eCollection 2024.

Abstract

Intramedullary nailing is the gold standard for long bone fractures in the lower limbs. Fractures of the tibia with bending of the intramedullary nail is a very uncommon complication. Removing a bent nail is an unpredictable and challenging procedure for any trauma surgeon. We report the case of a 34-year-old man presenting a refractured tibia with a bent intramedullary nail following a motor vehicle accident. We describe the management of this patient as well as a substantial review of the literature to depict the peculiarities of this entity compared to its more commonly reported femoral counterpart. When approaching a deformed tibia nail, standard extraction techniques should be attempted and are more likely to be successful than in deformed femoral nails.

Keywords: Intramedullary nail; bent; case report; removal; review; tibia.

Publication types

  • Case Reports